New York: Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) Vladimir Voronkov emphasised that the State of Qatar, through its active diplomacy, plays a significant role in safeguarding global peace and security.
In his remarks to QNA, Voronkov pointed out that Qatari diplomacy is very active and strong, and has an influential presence in the world, and that the conferences and forums organised by Qatar throughout the year, especially the “Doha Forum” held in December each year, discuss all major issues in the world, related to peace, security, and economic development.
He said that the State of Qatar and the UNOCT are linked by a strategic partnership, voicing the UNOCT’s gratitude and thanks to Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for the support that the State of Qatar has provided and continues to provide to the UNOCT.
He added that the UNOCT works closely with the government of the State of Qatar, through its Permanent Mission to the United Nations, led by Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations H E Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani. He noted that there is very good cooperation, continuous and permanent dialogue, and a very advanced approach to various issues of interest to both sides, and he believes that the two parties have created a model of unique cooperation.
He indicated that the State of Qatar provides financial support to the UNOCT, in addition to providing technical assistance to member states when needed, as well as political support.
He said that the UNOCT has 19 global programmes and activities, in which the State of Qatar participates in 12 of them, whether in terms of financial support or through the participation of experts.
He noted that during 2023, the UNOCT, in cooperation with the State of Qatar, succeeded in implementing activities and programmes in 155 countries around the world, highlighting that the UNOCT is present in Qatar through a parliamentary office and a center for behavioral sciences.
Regarding the programmes implemented by the UNOCT to combat global terrorism, HE Vladimir Voronkov said that there are several programmes implemented by the UNOCT in this regard, including, for example, the Countering Terrorist Travel (CT Travel) Programme, which is now being implemented in 75 countries. He said that it is a very important programme, because it revolves around global security, as all flights are taken into consideration, through the digital infrastructure and the digital platform used by various countries.
He added that the UNOCT is absolutely certain that this programme has contributed significantly to improving the security situation in several countries. He also pointed to the “Fusion cells” programme, which is a technique for organizing coordination activities between different agencies, such as law enforcement and intelligence agencies, to effectively coordinate counter-terrorism activities, and it is also an important programme for countries that lack experience in this field.
