Qatar, UN Sign Agreement to Establish UNOCT Program Office in Doha

25 November 2020




The State of Qatar, represented by the Shura Council, and the United Nations, represented by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), has signed an agreement to establish the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) Program Office, which is concerned with parliamentary engagement in preventing and combating terrorism.

The UNOCT Program Office will be headquartered in the State of Qatar, and its activities will cover the parliaments of the world.

The agreement was signed on Wednesday evening by HE Speaker of the Shura Council Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud and the UN Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) Vladimir Voronkov, in the presence of HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Sheikha Alya bint Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani, via video conferencing.

Commenting on the occasion, HE Speaker of the Shura Council Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud said this is a "historic day" when the Shura Council signed exchange letters between the State of Qatar and the United Nations, represented by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, to establish the UNOCT Program Office which is concerned with parliamentary engagement in preventing and combating terrorism, to be headquartered in the State of Qatar and its activities cover the parliaments of the world. The two sides also signed the parties' contribution agreement to establish the Office.

HE the Speaker of the Shura Council underlined that this important event, which comes at a time when the international community commemorate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, represents another building block in building a lasting and fruitful cooperation between the State of Qatar and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, and a recognition by the United Nations and the international community of the wisdom of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and his sound policy in the field of countering terrorism in all its types and eliminating its causes.

HE the Speaker of the Shura Council said that opening this office in Doha sends a clear message to the international community that the State of Qatar is on the right track in all its anti-terrorism initiatives, and that it is exerting every effort to promote the engagement of parliamentarians from all over the world in the noble tasks to save humanity from the scourge of terrorism and the violence that leads to it, and to establish a safe, stable and prosperous international community governed by law and prevailed by cooperation.

HE Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid Al Mahmoud welcomed the establishment of the UNOCT Program Office in the State of Qatar, pledging to provide all capabilities to enable the office to perform its duties to the fullest. He said that the establishment of this office represents an important qualitative leap in the endeavors of the international community, given the great role of parliaments in light of their legislative, political and social weight, and their strong and direct influence on all issues of concern to the peoples of the world, especially the issue of combating terrorism.

His Excellency indicated that the tasks of this office are focused on conducting research and analysis and carrying out normative work in support of preventing and combating terrorism and violent extremism, including monitoring the enactment of new legislation in all parts of the world; helping to formulate legislation, policies and model strategies for combating terrorism led by parliaments; and providing technical assistance and legal and advisory services to parliaments to facilitate implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and terrorism-related Security Council resolutions.

He added that the office will work with the executive management of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee to identify parliaments' needs for technical assistance to establish and manage parliamentary committees that address terrorism and violent extremism, strengthen parliamentary diplomacy and international parliamentary cooperation, in addition to supporting the creation and operation of a global parliamentary network, the creation and maintenance of a web-based platform, and the production of multimedia materials for parliamentarians.

HE the Speaker of the Shura Council looked forward for humanity to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, for the world to restore its normal activity, and for the State of Qatar to cooperate with the United Nations to launch fruitful initiatives that have positive effects in the fight against terrorism. 

For his part, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) Vladimir Voronkov expressed thanks and appreciation to the Shura Council and the State of Qatar for its role in combating terrorism, praising the establishment of the UNOCT Program Office in Doha, which constitutes an important contribution to the international efforts in the fight against terrorism, especially as it is concerned with the parliamentary engagement in this field, which gives the office a special importance and an effective and influential role in the international arena.

He added that the activities of the UN Office concerned with parliamentary participation in preventing and combating terrorism includes all parliaments of world countries, and its mission is focused on enhancing parliamentary contribution and strengthening its capabilities at the national, regional and global levels, within the framework of international efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism that leads to terrorism.

In press statements following the signing of the agreement, HE Speaker of the Shura Council Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Mahmoud said that the office will be opened during the next three months.

HE the Speaker of the Shura Council expressed pride for choosing the State of Qatar to establish the only office in the world that counter terrorism through parliamentarians, stressing that the office will have a major role in training and qualifying Qatari cadres who will join the legal experts working in the office from various world countries.

He added that the office will have a great role in unifying the vision of parliaments and parliamentarians from different world countries towards the phenomenon of terrorism, and how to combat it and mobilize international public opinion to confront it.

HE the Speaker of the Shura Council said that the establishment of this office in Doha comes as an appreciation from the international community for Qatar's distinguished role in combating terrorism, based on the policy of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in this field, and his keenness on unifying the global efforts to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and whatever its motives, and to eliminate its causes.

The main tasks of the office includes undertaking joint initiatives to support the balanced implementation of the four pillars of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and relevant Security Council resolutions in the field of countering terrorism and violent extremism leading to terrorism; and providing technical assistance and legal advisory services to parliaments in order to support their role in implementing the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the Security Council resolutions and terrorism-related instruments.

The office will also conduct research, analysis and normative work in support of preventing and combating terrorism and violent extremism, including monitoring the enactment of new legislation around the world, and helping to formulate legislation, policies and model counter-terrorism strategies led by parliaments.

The establishment of the UNOCT Program Office coincides with the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, which reflects the will of the international community to create a united front against terrorism, making the office one of its basic tools as a parliamentary center for research, knowledge and building capacity, harnessing innovations and partnerships, to enhance the support provided to parliamentarians and parliaments around the world, and be an essential starting point for the international efforts aimed at enhancing the community-wide participation approach in combating terrorism and violent extremism.

 

The Head of UN Office of Counter-Terrorism and the Speaker of the Shura Council of the State of Qatar signs the Agreement to establish the UNOCT Programme Office on Parliamentary Engagement.