Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,

As Salaam Alaikum.

I just had a productive meeting with the Prime Minister of Qatar, His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani.

I thanked the President of the Congress and Prime Minister for hosting the thirteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and I congratulated him on the successful adoption by consensus of the Doha Declaration. I believe the Declaration to be implementable, concise and achievable. I expect this conference to be action-driven. It should provide a platform to increase the cooperation between Governments, intergovernmental organizations and civil society from the full spectrum on crime prevention and criminal justice issues. I really appreciate and highly commend the leadership of the President of the Congress and Prime Minister. Thank you.

The Prime Minister and I discussed a range of subjects of mutual concern, including transnational crime and terrorism.

One of the biggest security threats, challenges we face is the rise of Da’esh or ISIL.

The international community has to address the conditions that allow groups like Da’esh or ISIL to emerge and grow.

On April 21 and 22 there will be a high-level UN General Assembly thematic debate on tolerance and reconciliation organized in close cooperation with the Alliance of Civilizations Initiative.

Later in the year, I also plan to present a comprehensive UN Plan of Action on preventing violent extremism, including through good governance, the rule of law, engaging women and youth and all those alienated from our societies.

In Iraq, I welcome the recent liberation of Tikrit.

But I am alarmed by allegations of serious human rights violations and destruction of property perpetrated by forces and militias fighting alongside the Iraqi forces.

I am pleased that the Government of Iraq is taking these reports seriously and has urged the protection of civilians and their property.

I encourage the Government of Iraq to restore the rule of law in areas liberated from Da’esh or ISIL.

Alleged violations or abuses of human rights must be investigated and perpetrators held to account.

Over 2.5 million people have now been displaced in Iraq.

Minority communities, women and children remain particularly affected.

The Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government, with the support of the international community, have been working to scale up their emergency relief efforts.

However, vast challenges remain and additional resources are urgently needed.

In Yemen, I have strongly objected to the Houthis attempting to control the country by force. This is unacceptable.

But I am also deeply concerned about the military escalation.

Civilian casualties are mounting and vital public infrastructure is being destroyed.

The internal crisis in Yemen should not be allowed to grow into a protracted regional conflict.

We urgently need a de-escalation and a return to peaceful negotiations.

I firmly believe that the UN-brokered negotiations remain the best chance to prevent a long drawn out conflict, and I strongly support the efforts of my Special Envoy Jamal Benomar.

Life-saving humanitarian assistance in Yemen is continuing to the extent possible through national staff and a network of local partners.

In Gaza I remain deeply concerned by continuing tensions.

I thank Qatar for its generous support towards rebuilding Gaza, and I urge all donors to fully meet the commitments they made in Cairo last October.

I also urge the Palestinians to overcome their divisions.

The blockade must be lifted with due consideration for Israel's legitimate security concerns.

I am also deeply worried by the lack of a political horizon, which, combined with the situation on the ground, calls into question the prospects for resumed negotiations.

There is no other solution to the Israeli-Arab conflict than the establishment of a viable, contiguous and democratic Palestinian State living side-by-side in peace and security with Israel.

Finally, on Iran, the recent political framework achieved by the P5+1 and Iran is a significant development.

It paves the way for a comprehensive joint plan of action by 30 June as agreed by the negotiating parties.

The agreement will be of historical international value, providing for substantial limits on Iran’s nuclear programme and, at the same time, for the removal of sanctions.

It will respect Iran’s needs and rights while providing assurances to the international community that Iran’s nuclear activities will remain exclusively peaceful.

I strongly believe that a comprehensive, negotiated solution to the Iranian nuclear issue will contribute to peace and stability in the region.

Again I thank Your Excellency Mr. Prime Minister for your leadership and also the visionary leadership of His Highness the Emir of Qatar and many other government officials and people for their strong support and working together with the United Nations to make this world more peaceful, more prosperous and where human rights may be protected.

I thank you.

Shukran Jazeelan.