Qatar urges international cooperation to counter WMD threat

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.

Sunday 25 Oct 2015 - 13:34 Makkah mean time-12-1-1437 QNA image New York (IINA) – The State of Qatar has reaffirmed the importance of international cooperation to counter the threat of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported. It added that the specificity of the region marked by unrest and conflicts along with the presence of WMD and terrorist groups add a new and dangerous dimension which lies in the use of these weapons by terrorist groups. This came in a statement of Qatar delivered by Hamad Tami Al Hajri, member of Qatar's delegation to the 70th session of the UN General Assembly, before the United Nations First Committee for Thematic Discussion on the Other Weapons of Mass Destruction. Al Hajri said Qatar was keen to contribute in every effort which helps to remove the specter of the use or the threat of weapons of mass destruction, and thus contributing to reducing tension in the region and promoting peace and security. He affirmed that Qatar's position stems from its belief that the concept of strategic balance cannot be achieved in the existence of these weapons and other WMD, but rather depends on the success of countries in devoting their capacity for the development and prosperity of their peoples. Therefore sustainable peace and stability in the world cannot be achieved under the possession of WMD and the arms race posing a growing threat that faces the humanity, Al Hajri said, and pointed out that these prohibited weapons have been used and are still being used today in some of the conflicts. He went on to say that the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) ratified or acceded to by the overwhelming majority of countries in the world, catalyzing a large-scale international commitment, is considered as a symbol of respect for International law, and specifically the law of war. Al Hajri said the signing of the CWC was the culmination of decades of legal and diplomatic efforts that condemn the use of chemical weapons, adding that the use and even the possession of such weapons have become an international taboo. He wondered how some regimes deploy prohibited weapons against their own people, noting that thousands of civilians including children and women in Syria have paid the price of indiscriminate use of chemical weapons. AB/IINA