Remarks by the President of the General Assembly,
Mr. Philemon Yang
Closing of Doha Forum
8 December 2024 – Qatar
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Allow me to begin by congratulating the Government of Qatar for another successful session of the Doha Forum.
Allow me also to express my appreciation to the Heads of State and Government, and ministers, here today.
Your presence and commitment to the issues being discussed have helped cement the Doha Forum’s position as a preeminent space for dialogue, diplomacy, and knowledge sharing.
A space all the more important in light of geopolitical tensions, conflict, growing inequalities and erosion of trust in the multilateral system.
A space that will be of immense value as we chart a path ahead, guided by the Pact for the Future.
Excellencies,
As we close the Doha Forum, I am encouraged by what I have seen and heard here.
While we are confronted, daily, by catastrophic and existential threats, the will and desire to affect positive change remains.
I saw this, myself, in New York, in September, when Member States, including those here today, adopted the Pact for the Future.
Despite our many differences, we fundamentally agree that we simply cannot go it alone.
That’s what the Pact signifies. And it shows us the way forward.
Indeed, international cooperation remains the only path to addressing common challenges, promoting peace, protecting human rights, and ensuring sustainable and equitable social development for everyone, everywhere.
Going forward it is imperative that we honour our commitment to international cooperation rooted in the respect for international law, with trust and solidarity as the fundamental bedrock upon which all our efforts must be built.
Excellencies,
Before closing, allow me to once again thank our gracious hosts for their generosity and welcoming spirit. And let me commend their principled efforts, not only in the convening of this Forum, but in their unwavering efforts to bring hope and opportunity to its region and the wider international stage.
Let us not forget it was Qatar that requested the opening of the General Assembly’s Tenth Emergency Special Session in 1997, pursuant to the “Uniting for Peace” resolution of 1950.
And it is Qatar, since October 2023, that has played a profound yet delicate role in negotiations to bring about peace in Gaza.
I commend Qatar on its long track record of “diplomacy, dialogue and diversity”, and thank his Highness Sheikh Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani once again for the convening of this important Forum.
I thank you.
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