The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba, completed a three-day visit to Doha, Qatar, where she formally opened the Children and Armed Conflict Analysis and Outreach Doha Hub and met with high-level officials.

The Hub, supported by the generous contribution of the State of Qatar, will bolster the work of the Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) Office on Analysis and Outreach and in the collection of lessons learned and best practices, including mediation, and support the overall mandate of the Special Representative to end and prevent grave violations against children in armed conflict.

“Qatar has been an important partner of the Children and Armed Conflict mandate in recent years and a strong advocate for the protection of education in emergencies, including by sponsoring the creation of the International Day to Protect Education from Attack. The opening of a CAAC Analysis and Outreach Hub in Doha will reinforce our joint work on the protection of children before, during, and after conflict, and expand our collaboration with partners in the region,” said Virginia Gamba.

During her visit, the Special Representative was honored to meet with H.E. Lolwah Al-Khater, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, H.E. Hassan Al-Thawadi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, and with H.E. Mariam Al-Misnad, Minister of Social Development and Family. The Special Representative further explored possible partnerships on higher education on child protection issues with Mr. Fahad Al-Sulaiti, CEO of Education Above All, and with Executive Directors of programmes in the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.

The Special Representative also participated in a roundtable discussion with Prof. Sultan Barakat on the importance of including child’s rights and needs in mediation and peacebuilding efforts to ensure sustainable peace, as per the Practical Guidance for Mediators to Protect Children in Situations of Armed Conflict launched by her office in 2020. “The protection of conflict-affected children remains a central pillar of the human rights, peace and security, peacebuilding, development, and humanitarian agendas. Children must remain at the heart of our efforts to build peaceful and prosperous societies,” the SRSG reminded in her intervention.

The SRSG met with UN regional and national officials in Doha, including from UNESCO, UNICEF and UNOCT and visited the recently assigned offices at the United Nation House complex in Doha.

The opening of the CAAC Hub follows the signature of an agreement with Qatar Funds for Development in December 2019. The agreement was signed by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Ms. Virginia Gamba, and by the Qatar Development Fund Director-General, H.E. Khalifa bin Jassim Al-Kuwari, on the margins of the Doha Forum. The UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba once again welcomed the generous support of Qatar Funds for Development and its commitment to end and prevent grave violations against children.

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For additional information, please contact:

Fabienne Vinet, Communications Officer, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict

+1-212-963-5986 (office) / +1-917-288-5791 (mobile) / vinet@un.org

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