HE Al Attiyah: Qatar a Pioneer Against Food Security Challenges

Doha, December 04 (QNA) -HE Chairman of the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah, who is also President of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 18), has affirmed the importance of the issue of dry lands, especially because around a billion people live in these areas and face food, water and security challenges. The State of Qatar faces these challenges on a national and international level, Al Attiyah asserted; on a national level the State has established the Qatar National Food Security Programme (QNFSP) to advance food production through using green energy, he said, adding that it is the State s means as a nation trying to achieve sustainable development. HE Al Attiyah indicated that Qatar has demonstrated its leadership on an international level with the launch of the Global Dry Land Alliance (GDLA), assuring that this new global challenge requires new procedures and working side by side with specialized UN agencies to stand against it. He expressed hopes that the COP 18 would build its decrees and recommendations on successes achieved regarding water and food challenges for discussions to move forward. HE warned that the water and food sectors are the most affected by climate change, which threatens the lives of millions and needs to be taken into account. For his part, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed thanks for the State of Qatar s hosting of the COP 18, as well as to participants for taking part; supporting and committing to principles in face of climate change over the years either during climate change talks or sustainable development meetings. "The Conference is evidence of the UN s commitment against climate change in the context of its continuous efforts towards teamwork confronting a number of crucial issues, the most important of which is climate change, he said and asserted that working with the Arab world constitutes a crucial part of the UN s joint efforts towards facing climate change, which makes the Doha Conference vital. The UN Secretary-General pointed out that an extension to the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol is expected in accordance with the joint commitment at the Durban conference in South Africa last year under a legally binding agreement over climate change by 2015, expressing hopes that participating world leaders would show a stronger political commitment towards the cause. Ban encouraged the presentation of a clear contract over the funding of climate change amounting to around $100 billion by 2020. A Green Fund has been established with $10 billion per year, he said, adding that this achievement asserts confidence in the UN and its legitimacy giving hope to developing countries. "We are in good hands, Ban said, asserting that good results can be reached thanks to the leadership of the COP 18 HE President Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah, if everybody unites acknowledging responsibility towards future generations", he added. For her part, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Christiana Figueres said that food security is of great importance for the UN due to the strong links between food, water and energy as well as climate change. Figueres praised the State of Qatar s hosting of the COP 18 and its assumption of this responsibility on a national and international level, indicating that Doha plays a pioneering role in the sustainability field and confronting water and food scarcity through the usage of modern technology. Qatari initiatives in this context have encouraged the region s nations to seek solutions to such problems, she said, adding that the State of Qatar took the reins as a pioneer towards finding answers to drought and desertification "which we highly value". For his part, Chairman of the Organizing Sub-Committee for COP18 HE Fahad Bin Mohammed Al Attiyah, who is also Chairman of the QNFSP, presented the programme s goals and plans for the availability of food to the State, especially because it exports most of it. Food security should be at the forefront of countries agendas, he said, stressing the importance of using modern technology in the food production field and calling for suitable solutions, among them political, in face of food and water challenges. (QNA)