In His Speech in Habitat III, Dr. Saleh al-Nabit:
“Qatar is Fully Committed to Continue Support to Achieve UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development”
The State of Qatar participates in the Third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III), which is held in the city of Quito, the capital of the Republic of Ecuador. In this conference, the State of Qatar is represented by a delegation under the chairmanship of HE Dr. Saleh bin Mohammed al-Nabit, Minister of Development Planning and Statistics, and the membership of representatives of a number of relevant ministries.
Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, inaugurated the conference. Then, Ecuadorian President was elected to preside over the conference which will be held on 17-20 October, 2016.
In the framework of the opening day events of the conference, which is held every twenty years, HE Dr. Saleh bin Mohammed al-Nabit, Minister of Development Planning and Statistics and Chairman of Qatar's Delegation to the Conference, delivered a speech on this occasion. At the beginning of the speech, Dr. Saleh expressed his deep appreciation to the Government of the Republic of Ecuador for the excellent preparation, organization and warm welcome, and hailed the efforts undertaken by the Secretary-General of the United Nations in this regard.
Dr. Saleh explained that the year 2015 was characterized by a special importance for the international community, since it witnessed so many important milestones, particularly the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes a set of ambitious and comprehensive goals and objectives.
Moreover, HE Dr. Saleh al-Nabit emphasized Qatar's full commitment to continue its support to achieve the United Nations’ global sustainable development goals, as Qatar National Vision 2030 adopts a forward-looking approach toward the development process based on adjusting the pace of growth and change by choosing a development path that strikes a balance between the benefit of the present generation and that of future generations. He affirmed that sustainable development is a fundamental principle in the national vision.
With regard to the aspects of the great prosperity taking place in Qatar, His Excellency explained that the impacts are clearly seen in the field of construction, infrastructure and other areas. Qatar has put in place a comprehensive plan that adopts a clear policy for urban expansion and population distribution. Qatar’s Permanent Population Committee (PPC) is working on the development of a population policy aiming to improve the quality of life of all residents of Qatar, whether they are citizens or expatriates. The PPC is following up the implementation of this policy in cooperation with line ministries and bodies concerned with population issues.
Besides, the minister addressed the goal of Qatar National Vision; namely to transform Qatar into an advanced country capable of sustaining its own development by 2030, and to develop all its people to enable them to sustain a prosperous society.
HE Dr. Saleh al-Nabit also pointed out that the State of Qatar is striving to establish a dynamic and modern urban service center, and to attract and retain highly skilled foreign workers, while reducing dependence on hydrocarbons. Amongst its diversification efforts, and for the development of the private sector, Qatar has pumped significant investments in modern infrastructure, transport and communications, education and scientific research centers, culture and sports sectors, financial and information services, and in the allocation of environment friendly spaces, as well as in modern housing and its ancillary services and facilities.
His Excellency reiterated the importance that the recommendations of this conference should not run counter to the values, constitutions and laws of the countries, and they must avoid controversial phrases and expressions, and those that can be misinterpreted or misused.
Finally, Dr. Saleh stressed the importance of redoubling efforts in order to achieve true sustainable development, in particular towards the eradication of poverty and hunger, especially in view of predictions estimating world population to exceed 9 billion by 2050, two-thirds of them will be living in cities.
