Ministry of Interior Shield for Home Safety and Security

Doha, December 12 (QNA) - The State of Qatar believes that strengthening internal security is the key to prosperity and the way to achieve leadership on all levels. For the fourth year in row, Qatar ranked the first among Arab countries and the twelfth globally in the Global Peace Index (GPI) 2012, which is published by the Australia-based Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) annually since 2007. Qatar gained score of 1.395 in the place of 1.398 of the previous year which means that Qatar has improved its scoring. Globally, Qatar came ahead of many countries such as Sweden, Germany, Malaysia, Singapore, Britain, Italy, France and the United States. The Index measures 23 quantitative and qualitative indicators based on the data from reliable sources and it consists of internal and external factors that cover political, security, economic, social fields. The GPI report described Qatar as the most peaceful countries among the 18 MENA countries as it scored high in peace and stability as per the GPI indicators. Regarding the internal situation of the country, the GPI gave Qatar highest scores in interior affairs. It described the peace and stability enjoyed by the country as model for other countries. The year 2012 witnessed many of the achievements in the security sector such as the inauguration of the first phase of LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology project in the Security at Communications Department of the Ministry, which is considered as the latest technology available in the communication field and it is the best 4G wireless communication technology which is seen is as technology of future for coming seven years. The Ministry of Interior is one of the first security authorities that applied this technique in the GCC region, the Middle East, the Near East, and Europe. The State of Qatar, represented by the Ministry of the Interior, came in the first place for the seventh consecutive year in three areas out of four in the awareness film competition of the year 2011, organized annually by the Office of Security Media at the General Secretariat of the Council of Arab Interior Ministers with participation of various Arab countries. This was the first time that an Arab state won the Gold award in the three areas all together. Among other achievements, the Ministry of Interior obtained the international Certificate of Compliance to Standards of ID Card from Gemalto, a global company specialized in printing and issuing smart cards, for the Qatari Smart ID. The Interior Ministry also bagged new achievements by winning the "Best E-Gov Portal Excellence Award" among the Middle East Prize for Excellence in the Field Researches and Studies, and winning the award for best advanced technology application for its "Najm" security system in the Middle East Geospatial Forum 2012 Conference and Exhibition. At the criminal level, the year 2011 witnessed stable security thanks to the efforts exerted by the Ministry of Interior in this regard. Rates of committing major crimes have fallen to a great extent on the rates of global security identified by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The State of Qatar is the least globally in terms of rates of committing major crimes disturbing public security. The major crime rate has formed only (1%) of the total crimes committed during the year 2011, which means that most of the crimes committed by (99%) was minor offenses that do not constitute dangerous security situation. In implementation of the strategy of the Ministry of Interior, the security system in the state worked to secure and safeguard the fundamental interests of society, reduce crime rates to the minimum, and raise the level of security performance. Some of the significant achievements made by the Interior Ministry on the security side were: Security patrols: the number of communications that the patrols dealt with in 2011 rose by (119.9%) compared to 2010. Also in 2011, the patrols succeeded in the arrest of most wanted persons and suspects and bring them to the investigation department to take appropriate legal action against them. A Rapid Intervention Unit was created this year to provide support in major fires, insure security during celebrations, be present during mass games and large labor compounds and others. Security campaigns and preventive measures to enhance security in the country: security information were documented through the establishment of a center for information security aiming at studying crimes, analyzing rumors and providing information that contribute to the security departments work. Drugs and Psychotropic Substances: The Ministry works very hard to protect the country from the threat of drugs and its efforts succeeded to reduce the number of drug cases recorded in the state during 2012 by (1%). The Ministry carried out 198 security campaigns and took a series of actions to prevent the entry of drugs into the country. The Ministry succeeded to thwart (79) cases of smuggling drugs into the country during the year 2011. Coastal and border security: The Ministry handled (655) communications in 2011, an increase of (5.9%) compared with the number of communications recorded during 2010. The Ministry did not register any act of piracy in 201, rescued (113) people from drowning, and frustrated (6) drug smuggling operations by sea, and arrested of all smugglers. Civil Defense: (1.026) fire accident was Extinguished in 2011, an increase of (22.7%) compared to 2010. The civil defense forces carried out (356) rescue operation and relief during 2011 with an increase of average (14.5%) for 2010. Traffic performance in the state marked a significant improvement compared to last year. Most of the traffic accidents was registered under minor accidents without injuries, while major traffic accidents that resulted in injuries formed only (2.4%). The number of traffic violations recorded in the country in 2011 decreased (15%). Meanwhile, the administrative achievements of the Ministry of Interior were represented in the preparation of strategic plans for (38) departments, consistent with achieving the Ministry s goals and strategic pillars (2011-2016), delivering (1.987) lectures for all departments in order to ensure continuity of follow-up as well as the implementation of (13) polls to measure the level of satisfaction of the public about the services provided by the departments. The Ministry also carried out many activities and theoretical and practical training programs to develop the capacity of its staff. The Ministry implemented (1.432) varied training activities in addition to (42) training courses in cooperation with the UK International Academy Bramshill. On the basis of the directives of HH the Emir of Qatar and in line with the stated objectives to move forward in the way of democracy, the Interior Ministry also organized the 4th session of the Central Municipal Council elections. The future plans of the Ministry represented in the implementation and follow-up of strategic programs in the fields of security, administrative, construction and public service, as well as raising the standards of safety and security in the different facilities in the state. The Ministry of Interior also implemented a number of advanced technical programs in 2011 including providing patrols with high-tech surveillance cameras as well as tracking and GPS-based devices and the (MDT) working system which transforms communications directly to the patrols at the Ministry. The Ministry is also working to raise the standards of security and safety in the State institutions through the development of early warning systems against fire in the commercial complexes and major bodies in the State, and prepare the technical specifications for water networks for fire extinguish in the cities. The Ministry of Interior is also implementing the electronic security shield project, which aims to detect and prevent attempts to penetrate the information systems of the Ministry. The Ministry also launched the (Matarash 2) service allows the public to take advantage of all the ministry's services, and pay transaction fees easily using mobile phones without reference to the appropriate department. In the Meantime, the Interior Ministry hosted and took part in several conferences and meetings at the GCC, regional and international levels and signed nearly 23 memorandums of understandings and agreements. (QNA)