United Nations (UN) sees Qatar as economic model for the Middle East

Doha, Qatar: 9 March 2012- On a visit to Doha today, senior official Kobsak Chutikul, Special Advisor to Secretary General Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said “UNCTAD considers Qatar as an economic role model, capable of guiding a new era in the Middle East.” His remarks come as His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar is set to meet with Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi on Sunday in Doha, to discuss the upcoming United Nations Conference.

In the aftermath of the Arab Spring it has become clear that sustainable economic progress requires social cohesion, trusted political leadership and inclusion of all sectors of society. Such attributes, Kobsak says, can be found in Qatar. In this context, he points to the extensive reforms currently underway in Qatar in the context of The National Development Strategy 2011-2016. The strategy is being implemented to address the challenges of a more complex economy. The reforms aim to bring together decisions of national significance within an integrated framework for making deliberate and concerted choices about Qatar’s future.

UNCTAD XIII quadrennial conference will be held for the very first time in the Middle East. It will take place in Doha, Qatar, from 21 to 26 April.  The theme of the conference is “Development-centred globalization: Towards sustainable and inclusive development paths.”

Chair of the National Preparatory Committee, H.E. Dr. Hamad Bin Abdulaziz Al-Kawari, Minister of Culture, Arts, and Heritage of the State of Qatar, recently dubbed  the upcoming UNCTAD conference the “Olympics of development,” as it will bring together high level investors, esteemed academics, renowned journalists, representatives of civil society and high ranking government officials from the organization's 194 member States with a common goal to shape new and more sustainable development paths.

At the numerous events organized during the conference, participants will have an opportunity for wide-ranging debate and reflection on the state of the global economy and the major economic challenges facing developing countries, particularly in light of recent economic and social crises.