Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the emir of Qatar, denounced the Saudi-led blockade of his country as a “flagrant violation” of international law in his remarks to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday.
After opening remarks that stressed the importance of international law, the emir called the blockade of his nation “illegal” and part of a “prearranged campaign of incitement” against Qatar.
Al-Thani claimed the international community recognizes the “falseness of the allegations that have been propagated against my country to justify the premeditated measures taken under the pretext of these invented and untrue allegations, in a flagrant violation of international law and the basis of relations between nations, and the values and norms of our people.”
“Despite all the measures taken to inflict harm on Qatar’s security and stability, and create hardships for its people in addition to the economic warfare launched to hinder its development process, the period that followed the unjust siege has witnessed the strengthening of the status of the state of Qatar and the consolidation of its role as an active partner in the regional and international arenas,” he said.
“Qatar’s economy continued its growth as proof of its vigor and consistency,” he claimed. “The state of Qatar has also maintained its advanced and leading rankings vis-a-vis the countries of the region in global indicators, especially in the areas of human security and human development.”
Al-Thani said he wanted to end the crisis with “an unconditional dialogue based on mutual respect for the sovereignty of nations,” and lamented the paralysis of the Gulf Cooperation Council by this long-running dispute between members.
“The blockade against Qatar has harmed the reputation of the GCC countries,” he said.
Al-Thani said another major regional concern is the “Palestinian cause,” which he called “the last vestige of a colonial past in our world.”
“We are witnessing attempts to liquidate the Palestinian cause through the liquidation of issues relating to the permanent solution, such as Jerusalem, refugees, sovereignty, and borders,” he said. “Just national issues can’t be resolved by being subjected to the balance of power between the occupier and the occupied, but can only be solved in accordance with principles such as the right of self-determination and inadmissibility of the annexation of territories of others by force.”
Al-Thani said the non-negotiable demands of the Palestinians and their advocates include a “two-state solution” with East Jerusalem as “the capital of the Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.” He castigated Israel for rejecting this “just settlement.”
“The state of Qatar will spare no effort to provide various forms of material and political support to the brotherly Palestinian people, and to continue to work with all international actors in the Middle East peace process to clear the difficulties that obstruct the resumption of peace negotiations,” he said.
Al-Thani also expressed concern about “genocide, mass displacement, and wholesale death in prisons under torture” in Syria.
“Failure to deter the Syrian regime from committing crimes through the war waged against its people on the one hand, and to not be held accountable for committing them on the other hand, would render the provisions of international law and human rights law devoid of any meaning,” he advised.
“We are facing a humanitarian, moral, and legal catastrophe that obligates the international community to speed up reaching a political solution that stems Syrian bloodshed, fulfills the aspirations of the Syrian people for justice and freedom, maintains Syria’s unity and sovereignty, and achieves stability and security in Syria and in the region,” he said.
Al-Thani also addressed the civil war raging in Yemen, where he said Qatar is committed to the territorial integrity of the country and humanitarian relief for the Yemeni people. To that end, he announced that Qatar will participate in a U.N. effort to fight cholera in Yemen.
Acknowledging the chaos in Libya, the emir said foreign intervention would “complicate the crisis” and “prevent reaching a national consensus sought by the Libyan brothers.”
“We call upon all Libyan brothers to uphold the national interest and abide by dialogue, without excluding any of the components of the Libyan community, to reach a comprehensive political settlement that preserves Libya’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said.
Al-Thani denounced terrorism as a threat to the world’s stability and insisted Qatar rejects it in every form, “anywhere in the world, regardless of the regions and pretexts.”
“The fight against terrorism is among the priorities of the state of Qatar’s policy at the national, regional, and international levels,” he said. “We have developed legislative and institutional systems. We have fulfilled international obligations related to the fight against terrorism and its financing, and we have participated in all relevant international and regional efforts.”
The emir stressed the importance of youth programs and education to keep young people from falling prey to terrorist recruiters