The Shura Council State of Qatar

Her Excellency Dr. Hamda bint Hassan Al-Sulaiti, Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council, affirmed that the State of Qatar is focused on addressing the root causes of extremism by providing education for all—including in conflict zones and to marginalized groups such as women and girls. She also highlighted Qatar’s support for United Nations agencies concerned with education and counter-terrorism, as well as its assistance to least developed countries.
In her speech delivered today during the seminar titled “Presentation of the Valletta Principles on National and Regional Counter-Terrorism Strategies to Address New and Emerging Trends in Terrorist Activities”—organized virtually by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean—Her Excellency referred to Qatar’s efforts in youth empowerment and job creation through the “Silatech” initiative, which has contributed to providing thousands of opportunities for Arab youth.
Her Excellency called on those responsible for formulating national and regional comprehensive and integrated counter-terrorism strategies and implementation mechanisms to focus on addressing the root causes of terrorism before dealing with its manifestations and consequences. She pointed out that the absence of justice, the spread of oppression, and inequality are key factors fueling terrorism and violence. She added that public outrage is further intensified by the international community’s failure to halt aggression against civilians and protect the vulnerable—particularly in the Middle East and in countries lacking institutions that uphold justice and inclusive participation. She warned that “the dominance of the law of force drives youth toward extremism and retaliation, which perpetuates the spread of terrorism and conflict, leads to instability, hinders development, and exacerbates poverty. Thus, the cycle of violence and extremism continues to expand over time.”
Her Excellency also highlighted the suffering of children, women, the elderly, and the sick in the occupied Palestinian territories and in conflict and war zones around the world—particularly in Africa and Asia—under conditions where basic life necessities are absent and security and peace are lacking. She stressed that ignoring these tragedies and failing to condemn them only fuels the motives for extremism and violence. Moreover, the Deputy Speaker of the Shura Council emphasized Qatar’s efforts to engage parliamentarians in countering and preventing terrorism and violent extremism, notably through hosting the United Nations Office on Parliamentary Engagement in Preventing and Countering Terrorism, the first of its kind globally. This office was inaugurated in Doha in 2021 in cooperation with the Shura Council and aims to enhance the role of parliaments in combating terrorism through legislation and policy-making.
Her Excellency reiterated Qatar’s firm belief that dialogue is the most effective and swift means of resolving disputes and called for it to be adopted as a binding mechanism for conflict resolution. She also noted Qatar’s commitment to preventive diplomacy, including the pursuit of good offices and mediation to resolve disputes among conflicting factions and groups at both regional and international levels.
The Valletta Principles are set to be presented to the United Nations Security Council and the General Assembly for adoption as a global guiding framework. These principles acknowledge the vital role of parliamentarians in formulating and implementing counter-terrorism strategies. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, in its capacity as chair of the United Nations Coordination Mechanism for Associations, organized this seminar to update parliamentarians on the latest trends and developments related to terrorism, discuss the impact of these trends on national and international strategies, and promote parliamentary dialogue and cooperation in counter-terrorism efforts.