New York, September 21 (QNA) The State of Qatar participated in the ministerial meeting of the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative, on the sidelines of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The State of Qatar was represented at the meeting by Her Excellency Mrs. Lulwa bint Rashid Al-Khater, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In the State of Qatar's speech to the meeting, HE the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs praised the efforts made by the People's Republic of China through its launch of the Global Development Initiative, which contributes to accelerating the implementation of the 2030 sustainable development plan.

Her Excellency said that the increase in the group of friends sends a positive and strong signal from the international community about the importance of the basic concepts and principles of the Global Development Initiative, which pays special attention to development and the main role of global development partnerships.

Her Excellency explained that the Covid-19 epidemic remains a huge challenge, noting that it has exacerbated current needs and challenges such as poverty, the effects of climate change, conflicts, and food insecurity, which threatens to undermine the progress made in implementing the 2030 sustainable development plan.

"Despite the existing challenges, collective efforts and global partnerships continue to play a vital role in addressing these challenges and responding to the growing needs," she added.

Her Excellency stressed that the State of Qatar places development at the heart of its priorities, pointing out that it has not limited its efforts only to the national level, but has continued its endeavors as an effective partner at the international level, recognizing the importance of multilateral cooperation.

HE the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs indicated that the State of Qatar continues to make its contributions at the international level, pointing out that in 2021 the Qatar Fund for Development contributed more than 551 million US dollars at the international level in the field of development and humanitarian aid, as it worked to direct these amounts through Its partners, including multilateral institutions, and the Fund continue to make unremitting efforts to mitigate the effects of the Corona pandemic, especially those who live in vulnerable communities.

She added: "Based on our belief that achieving the ambitious aspirations of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development will not be possible without paying special attention to the least developed countries, the State of Qatar is honored to host the second part of the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries in Doha from March 5 to 9 2023, and we are confident that this conference will constitute a major contribution to promoting the sustainable development of these countries.”

Her Excellency reiterated the possibility of relying on the support of the State of Qatar in order to ensure that the Group of Friends continues to contribute to global development and accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.