Deputy PM al-Mahmoud leads Qatar delegation to UNAOC Global Forum

HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Mahmoud led Qatar’s delegation to U.N. Alliance of Civilizations Sixth Global Forum, which launched Friday morning in the Indonesian island of Bali.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono attended the two-day event’s opening ceremony along with a number of world leaders, heads of government, ministers and officials.
Speaking during the opening session, UNAOC High Representative HE Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasr said the theme of the forum “Unity In Diversity” embodies the commitment to “ending the on-going conflicts and tensions that plague our global society.”
He added that the world is changing rapidly and disproportionately, pointing to the alarming events of the past two months alone. “The crises in Iraq, Gaza, Syria and further a field in the Central African Republic, Nigeria, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka so clearly demonstrate that societies are grappling with identity based tensions. Globally, there is a persistent need for the work of the Alliance if we really want to pursue the future we want.”
“Running an organization with a small number of staff, limited resources and a huge mandate is challenging. This is why as soon as I took office, I initiated a strategic review to take stock of the activities that needed to be continued and expanded, as well as those new and innovative, that deserve to be added as priorities and areas of focus,” HE Al-Nasr added.
He said UNAOC has partnered with civil society and governmental bodies to support social change entrepreneurs. “Under this program we train and mentor young social entrepreneurs from the north and south basins of the Mediterranean to scale up their businesses, while also fostering intercultural understanding. This proved to reduce youth un-employment, and build inclusive societies through social enterprises.”
A preparatory meeting for the forum was held in April in Doha where participants reviewed achievements of the Alliance since its inception as well as means of developing and enhancing mutual work between governments and the international organization.