QNA/New York

Qatar has stressed that it attaches great importance to the issue of climate change as one of the biggest challenges facing the world today, especially since it contributes to undermine the ability of countries to achieve sustainable development.
Addressing the 70th session of the UN General Assembly at the Second Committee Debate on Agenda Item 20: Sustainable Development, the Third Secretary of Qatar’s Permanent Mission to the UN Ahmed bin Saif al-Kuwari stressed Qatar’s commitment to continue to work with the international community in order to move forward towards a comprehensive sustainable development enjoyed by the peoples of the whole world.
He underlined the importance of the secretary general’s report (A/70/283), in which he called to make the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) the means to address new and emerging challenges, and to address sustainable consumption and production, and to be flexible enough to remains viable throughout the period of the implementation of sustainable development goals.
He noted that the Rio +20 conference emphasised the importance of providing a strong institutional framework for sustainable development to respond in a coherent and effective manner to current and future challenges, and thus achieve a comprehensive and transparent development.
He stressed the importance of the integration of the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development, which promotes efforts to move forward in the implementation of sustainable development goals.
In this regard, Ahmed al-Kuwari noted that Qatar is continually striving to implement the outcome of the Rio +20 conference, and to achieve the three pillars of sustainable development, stressing the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, and national sovereignty over natural resources.
Ahmed al-Kuwari pointed out that Qatar attaches great importance to education in achieving sustainable development. He said Qatar has launched several initiatives at local and international levels to highlight the importance of education, such as the ‘Education Above All’ global initiative which aims at providing educational opportunities, with a special commitment to communities facing poverty and crisis.  
He also highlighted the problem of desertification, drought and land degradation which threaten security, peace and stability and hinder sustainable development.
He pointed out that the final document of the Rio+20 emphasised that desertification, land degradation and drought are challenges of a global dimension.
The conference stressed the need for co-operation through the exchange of information at global, regional and sub-regional levels, and the importance of encouraging and assisting the developing countries facing difficulties in the optimal implementation of national development strategies, including policies designed to address land degradation and desertification.
He highlighted the importance of the ‘Global Dryland Alliance’ established by Qatar to combat desertification, drought and food insecurity, and thus contribute to the achievement of sustainable development goals.
He also stressed the importance of promoting new and renewable energy sources, and to provide sustainable energy for everyone because of its critical role in the development process, and the eradication of poverty, and meet basic human needs.