Qatar Praises Sudanese Government's Steps Towards National Dialogue

Geneva, September 24 (QNA) - Qatar has praised steps taken by the Sudanese government towards the National Dialogue Initiative announced by the President Omar al-Bashir in January 2014. The remarks were made by Jassim Al-Maawda, Third Secretary, Permanent Mission of Qatar in Geneva during the interactive dialogue with the independent expert on the situation of human rights in the Sudan within the framework of the 27th regular session of Human Rights Council , currently being held here from Sept. 6 - 28, 2014. Al-Maawda expressed his hope that the interactive dialogue would contribute to promoting the human rights situation in Sudan, where the report pointed to the constructive cooperation shown by the Sudanese government with the independent expert during his recent visit to Sudan, transparency and objectivity in dealing with its mandate. Consistent with the recommendation of the report to the international community to support the Sudanese government in the realization of economic and social rights in addition to the effective implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), he added . He noted that following the adoption of the document in 2011, Qatar's leadership seeks to implement the DDPD on the ground by implementing a number of reconstruction and development projects in Darfur in order to achieve peace in the region. In the presence of HE Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah, Qatar signed a USD 88.5 million grant agreement with the United Nations Multi-Partner Trust Fund, administered by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), to finance recovery and reconstruction in Darfur and working to implement the immediate priorities outlined in the Darfur Development Strategy, launched at the international Donor Conference , which was held in Doha in April 2013. Concluding, Al-Maawda affirmed continuation of Qatar's efforts to achieve peace in Darfur region, a matter which would improve the human rights situation in Sudan. (QNA)