17 December 2019 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the State of Qatar strengthen their partnership with new commitments made at this year’s Doha Forum.

Administrator of UNDP Mr. Achim Steiner, in attending the 2019 Doha Forum themed Reimagining Governance in a Multipolar World, met with a number of Qatari leaders including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani to discuss their growing partnership.

“We welcome Qatar’s growing engagement with UNDP – from being a launch partner of the UNDP Accelerator Labs, to providing rehabilitation support for schools affected by conflict in the State of Palestine, to promoting community reconciliation in Sudan,” says Mr Steiner.

Mr Steiner met H.E. Mr. Khalifa Al-Kuwari, Director General of the Qatar Fund for Development, and reflected on the fast progress of UNDP’s Accelerator Labs – established in 60 countries in the first 10 months – exactly one year since $20 million was pledged by the Fund.

To build the rapidly technological competency of the labs, A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between UNDP and Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), enabling the use of data science and artificial intelligence to help achieve Agenda 2030.

The decision to invest in the professional development of Qatari youth was another partnership milestone, with Qatar joining UNDP’s Junior Professional Officer (JPO) programme.

Mr Steiner spoke at a number of sessions throughout the Doha Forum, which attracted more than 4,000 participants this year, including:

·         Resilience, Governance and Public Policy for the 21^st Century

·         High-level Roundtable on Strengthening the Partnership between the State of Qatar and the UN, moderated by the UN Secretary General’s Humanitarian Envoy, H.E. Dr Ahmed Al Meraikhi

·         Roundtable on ‘The UN at the Current Conjuncture: issues, challenges and opportunities moving forward’ at Georgetown University Qatar

·         “The United Nations at 75: A Time for Renewal and Innovation,” featuring former and current UN leaders including former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

“The Doha Forum continues to provide a platform for lively and engaging debates, particularly around the main Forum theme of multipolarism, as well as the often-cited view that multilateralism is declining and becoming less relevant,” says Mr Steiner.

“It is a timely dialogue as the UN enters its 75^th year in 2020. Multilateralism is, at the end of the day, a product of nations willing to work under common rules, norms and laws to resolve and address challenges without descending into open conflict. Its unique role and relevance deserves more attention and reflection,” he adds.