It gives me pleasure to welcome you all at the outset of this forum which is being held at a time when political, economic and social developments in our region are at the forefront of global concerns. Sustainable development comes at the top of these major issues to actually embody a vision comprising the realization of basic reforms that help lay down the foundations of democracy and justice in building the institutions of the state, the rule of law and promoting and strengthening the civil society.

     This forum also comes within the context of a number of specialized forums that aim at deepening dialogue by presenting effective policies and mechanisms to achieve sustainable development by addressing basic aspects related to establishing a world order which is more stable and more capable of tackling the existing issues, and easing the problems of poverty and backwardness and realizing the objectives of the millennium project, to invest in people (health, education, nourishment, family planning) and upgrading the infrastructure (roads, power, ports) through active international cooperation that supports the less developed countries. Here one must put emphasis on the necessity to achieve active and speedy contribution to the transfer of technological know-how to the developing countries to enhance national capabilities.

Honourable Audience,

      This forum which aims at deepening dialogue, exchanging of information and benefiting from advanced expertise should increase effective cooperation between international institutions and governments to guarantee a fair return to our depleting resources and consequently provide those countries and their peoples the necessary revenues to develop their economies and find alternative sources to replace oil and secure good income for their future generations.

      Qatar’s chairmanship of the 77 Group and China has resulted in launching a search for international consent of views on development that leads to an accurate balance between security concerns and the goal of eradicating poverty and achieving sustainable development, out of our conviction that peace and security cannot be maintained unless they are based on development and justice.

      Our country believes in the importance of cooperation between countries of the South, and it hosted last December the Trade and Investment Forum for countries of the South and will have the honour of hosting the Second Summit of the South in Doha next June.

Honourable Audience,

      To establish a more stable international order in general and on the level of regional groupings and countries requires building modern and advanced institutions that take as their slogan the concept of good governance which I called the “sustainable reform” when I addressed the UN General Assembly last September.

      The absence of the democracy and the slackening in political reform have led to most of the economic and social suffering, especially in the Middle East. Political reform and popular participation in decision-making are no longer optional but are necessary and almost inevitable. Sustainable reform demands that it should not be seasonal fervor attached to international pressures, but must originate from genuine conviction.

      Hence, it is very important in today’s world to combine support of the various tracks of development with good governance to unite the efforts for development issues.

      Sustainable reform is not impossible for our Arab World. Yet in most of our countries, we have not started the march towards democracy. The greatest challenge facing those concerned with reform issues in our region is the answer to the big question of how to change reform from an enemy whose impact is feared into a friend whose benefit is anticipated.

      We, in Qatar, have realized some years back that reform is not only a plan to be announced, nor a program to be drawn, but it is a living culture and a way of thinking that need to be sown and deepened. We endeavored to upgrade our educational institutions, with the aid of international expertise, and moved in confidently towards establishing a democratic system based on Shura. We set up plans for political, economic and social development that make the citizen, be it man or woman, participate in the development march and the political process through parliamentary elections.

      The development process adopted by our country has grown at higher rates, where the volume of investments in the new projects in Qatar totaled more than 60 billion U.S. dollars. Confidence in Qatar’s economy increased not only by foreign firms but also by international rating institutions, thanks to the political stability, the monetary policy, the investment incentives and transparency and credibility in dealings. We are continuing work on improving the investment atmosphere by building infrastructures , industrial cities and updating legislation so that the foreign investor can now own 100% of the capital in several economic sectors compatible with the development requirements.

      Though we have opened the way for the freedom of expression, and took good steps towards completing modern educational institutions on top of which is the Education City, and allowed women wide scope for positive participation, and opened greater area for the private sector to participate in the development process, and sought to widen the base of participation in rule and the building of the state of law and institutions, we are still concerned with having a comprehensive development policy that includes all economic, social and political spheres.

      We have adopted several initiatives that form, today, some of the most conspicuous concerns, where we placed the issue of development as a priority by which we arrive at realizing our aspirations to build the homeland and improve the living standard of citizens and preserve our natural resources.

Honourable Audience,

      We consider this second forum in the field of development a platform for constructive communication between the governmental decision-makers, the academic experts and representatives of the civil society. We view it as a nucleus for interaction, not only for enriching knowledge but also for opening new horizons that expand the scope of constructive dialogue between peoples in a civilized manner; alleviating their sufferings; eradicating the causes of poverty and injustice; narrowing the technological gap and creating a favourable environment for the requirements of development. Hence is our insistence that sustained development be linked with sustainable governance.

      I wish you success, and may your constructive dialogue continue for the realization of our common goals in a free, decent life and for addressing the issues of development with a tolerant spirit, open minds and unified hearts for the enhancement of security and stability in a disturbed world.

May the peace and mercy of God be upon you.