HE President of UNCTAD XIII Hails Media Coverage of the Conference Activities

Doha, April 26 (QNA) - HE the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari who is also President of the 13th session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD XIII) has highly praised the role played by the media organs especially the local media organs for ensuring the full and speedy media coverage of the said conference activities noting that media plays a grand role for communicating the message of the conference to the entire world. HE Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari said in a statement he made earlier Thursday morning while touring the media centre dedicated to the pressmen and journalists who are in charge of covering the conference that thanks to the tireless media activities Doha has been turned into a highly significant centre for the UNCTAD XIII news focus worldwide. The President of the 13th session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD XIII) has highly appreciated the tangible role Qatar News Agency (QNA) has played in view of its ongoing and unmatched efforts to keep pace with the various activities of the conference and lauded as well the role the entire local press has played in this regard. The Qatari local press has also gained appreciation on part of all the participants attending the conference among them the UNCTAD XIII Secretary General Supachai Panitchpakdi and others who highlighted the wide scale coverage made for the current UNCTAD XIII edition other than the previous ones, said Dr. Al-Kuwari. HE the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari said the talks to reach agreement on the "Doha Declaration" was difficult and lasted until early morning hours during the closed private meetings held earlier Wednesday night. HE the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari who is also President of the 13th session of the UNCTAD XIII stated that he was making contact with all parties concerned, especially basic ones, considering that the difficulty of the negotiations indicate the extent of interest of everyone to be the best document, stressing that it will be to reach the expected result. He stressed the importance of the document as a road map for action "UNCTAD" during the next four years. HE al kuwari said earlier Monday that development cannot be achieved unless women became equal partners in the world. Speaking at the UNCTAD XIII high-level event on ''Women in Development, HE the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage said that the international community understands that "real" development cannot be achieved unless women were empowered to become an equal partner in each society. Otherwise development would be "lame," HE Al -Kuwari added. HE the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage stressed the role of a woman, as a vital part of the family as well as her work, as a vital component to development. HE the Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari has underlined the need to address challenges facing the developing countries in the light of efforts made by Group 77 to realize a better and more prosperous future for world peoples. In a speech before a ministerial meeting of Group 77 and China, held this morning on the sidelines of UNCTAD XIII, which was later inaugurated in Doha, Dr. Al-Kuwari said the State of Qatar has succeeded in achieving many of the accomplishments at all levels during the past period, "but we feel the magnitude of the challenge before us all as developing countries. " He added that the State of Qatar in 2005 hosted the second summit of Group 77 and China, which was attended by Heads of State and Government who expressed their visions on a better developmental future. He said in this context that despite the lapse of seven years on this hosting, the world continues to suffer from many challenges as poverty is rampant and inequality spread in many parts of the world although developing countries continue their efforts and endeavors to make its voice heard and taken into consideration in the international process for economic decision-making. (QNA)