With Qatari funding ... the launch of the United Nations program to protect religious sites from terrorist threats

The countries of the world place great hopes on the United Nations program to combat terrorist threats against easy targets and protect religious sites. However, observers believe that the success of this program inevitably calls for the need to adopt new global strategies that are able to combat terrorism and deal with advanced threats with more effective means and capabilities.

With full Qatari funding, the launch of the program to protect soft targets and religious sites was announced during a high-level hypothetical event organized by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism in partnership with the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and the United Nations Institute for Crime and Justice Research, and in consultation with the international police "INTERPOL".

The Qatari initiative comes within the framework of its strong partnership with the parties of the global strategy to coordinate cooperation with the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, and in response to UN Security Council resolutions that call for strengthening national, regional and international partnerships and exchanging information and experience in order to prevent terrorist attacks on easy targets.

The permanent representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations, Ambassador Alia Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani, expressed Qatar's awareness of this responsibility, and for this it is pursuing a comprehensive approach to combat terrorist threats and deal with advanced threats, and since the new global program comes to meet these needs, it calls for member states to assume their responsibilities. Essential in protecting vulnerable targets, responding to attacks and recovering from attacks.

The announcement of the program came after the United Nations General Assembly, last Thursday, unanimously adopted a resolution calling for a culture of peace and tolerance to protect religious sites, and asking the international community to redouble its efforts to encourage dialogue at the global level and spread a culture of tolerance and peace based on respect for human rights and the diversity of religions and beliefs.

In its non-binding resolution, despite its political value, the United Nations considers that the targeting of easy targets, including religious places, by terrorist groups with different affiliations and ideologies is on the increase, resulting in large numbers of victims, disrupting daily life and spreading panic.

Following this step, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, is called at the earliest time to hold a global conference that brings together United Nations entities, member states, politicians, religious leaders, religious organizations, the media, civil society and the concerned parties.

Alia Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani: Qatar is pursuing a comprehensive approach to combat terrorist threats and deal with advanced threats (Al-Jazeera)

An integrated approach

On more than one occasion, Qatar stressed that efforts to combat terrorism should not be confined to defense and security issues only, but must also be combated by strengthening the rule of law, strengthening citizenship rights, establishing a culture of reconciliation and coexistence, accepting others and rejecting sectarianism, and addressing the challenges of poverty and unemployment, in Framework for an integrated approach.

The head of the Qatar International Academy for Security Studies, Majid Al-Ansari, believes that Qatar's position is consistent with the vision of the international community in the field of combating terrorism and armed groups, with not only direct security and military confrontation, but also by addressing the roots of the phenomenon and its effects on society.

He told Al-Jazeera Net that the Qatari role always stands in favor of supporting institutional initiatives, whether within the framework of the Qatari strategy or international initiatives that enjoy the support of the sovereign authorities in Qatar on an ongoing basis, in the interest of the region and its security, and the stability of the whole world.

This program practically translates the action plan launched by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, following the massacre of two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand in March 2019, in which more than 50 people were killed, and its aim is to protect religious sites and confront hatred and violence around the world, and to stop Hate campaigns against Muslims.

The Global Program to Combat Terrorist Threats Against Soft Targets aims to better understand comprehensive and cooperative threats and strategies, share best practices, build capacity and facilitate international cooperation and partnerships with the private sector, in addition to assisting member states and stakeholders to develop national action plans to protect targets at risk, and provide Practical training to support its capabilities in combating terrorism, especially with regard to tourist places, places of worship, and major sporting events.

Attending the funeral ceremony for the victims of the massacre of the mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand (Reuters)

Constant engagement

In harmony with a perspective that combines strengthening local procedures and activating participation in international and international efforts, Qatar has concluded a series of international agreements to combat terrorism, the most recent of which was last November when the Qatari Shura Council and the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office concluded an agreement to embrace Doha with the Office of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Program , Will announce its opening soon, after Qatar contributed $ 75 million to it to support its general strategy.

Among the tasks of this office are to conduct research and analysis and carry out normative work to support the fight against terrorism and extremism, including the enactment of new legislation in all parts of the world, and assistance in the formulation of legislation, policies and model counter-terrorism strategies led by parliaments, in addition to providing technical assistance and legal advisory services to parliaments.

Qatar is also a founding member of the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum, which coordinates with 30 different countries, including France, Britain, Germany, Canada and the United States, and it is also an active member of the Terrorism Financing Targeting Center, which includes all the Cooperation Council states and the United States of America.

In the context of strengthening its domestic legislation, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, issued in July 2017 a decree providing for the amendment of the anti-terrorism law in the State of Qatar, which includes clear laws defining terrorists, crimes, terrorist acts and entities, and the freezing of funds and financing of terrorism.

These measures have strengthened Qatar's role in combating terrorism. In June 2020, the US State Department issued its detailed annual report on terrorism for 2019, in which it commended Qatar’s great efforts in combating it.