NEW YORK QATAR expressed concern over the significant reduction in aid to the least developed countries (LDCs).
Articulating Qatar’s views on this issue at the Second Committee of the 67th UN General Assembly on the item (23 a) titled ‘Follow-up to the Fourth United Nations Conference on LDCs,’ Maha Mohammed al Maadadi, member of Qatar’s delegation to the event, noted in her speech that the importance of discussing the implementation of the programme of the decade 2011- 2020 for the LDCs lies in the fact that it comes in the context of the massive global challenges emerging in the form of the financial meltdown and their impacts on LDCs, as a result of the deterioration of the international financial crisis that led to slower growth and lower exports rates.
She also noted that these countries continue to suffer from constant marginalisation in the global economy.
Speaking of Qatar’s efforts in terms of achieving the Millennium Development Goals, al Maadadi said that Qatar has consistently allocated 0.7 percent of its total national income for official development assistance, and has also offered aid through bilateral means and through the United Nations and its specialised agencies.
She added that Qatar has donated $10 million for the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) in addition to bilateral assistance and relief aid provided at emergencies and disasters.
The Qatari official highlighted her country’s mediation to bring peace to Darfur, which culminated in July 2011 by the adoption of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) as an important step in the peace process.
In order to support the development reconstruction efforts in the region, al Maadadi said in her concluding remarks, the Emir His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani had announced in 2010 the establishment of the Darfur Development Bank (DDB) with a capital of $2 billion and an open door for interested countries and organisations who wished to contribute to the acceleration of development in Darfur.
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