Qatar Charity organizes panel discussion on child protection on sidelines of UN General Assembly

On the sidelines of its participation in the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Qatar Charity (QC) organized a high-level panel discussion under the title" Accelerating the Child Protection Localization Agenda in Humanitarian Settings: Opportunities and Challenges", in cooperation with UNICEF, the Mission of Qatar to the United Nations in New York, and the Club of Madrid.Her Excellency Ambassador Sheikha Alya bint Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani, Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations, Mr. Youssef bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, CEO of Qatar Charity, Mr. Mohammed Al Ghamdi, CEO's Assistant for the Governance and Institutional Development sector at Qatar Charity, Mr. Cornelius Willems, Associate Director, and Global Chief of Child Protection Program, UNICEF, Ms. Dagan Ali, Executive Director of Africa Development Solutions (Adeso), and HE. Dr. Danilo Türk, President of the Club of Madrid, took part in the panel discussion. Her Excellency Ambassador Sheikha Alya bint Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani, Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations, said that the State of Qatar had supported various global instruments that are key for local ownership for humanitarian development action.She added that Qatar Charity is always at the forefront of efforts to accelerate the localization plan. It has become one of the world's largest humanitarian organizations thatworks to bridge the gap in the relationship between humanitarian aid and sustainable development.The CEO of Qatar Charity, Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Kuwari, underlined the importance of the role of local organizations in humanitarian work, noting that "The role of local organizations is not limited to implementing humanitarian interventions, but they must have equal opportunities to play leading roles and make strategic decisions at the national and international levels."He indicated that Qatar Charity allocates 30% of its budget to work with local executive partners and engage them in planning, implementing, and assessing the impact, underscoring the need for local organizations to participate in decision-making. He stated that Qatar Charity pledges to promote localization by strengthening and building capabilities. Mr. Mohammed Al Ghamdi, CEO's Assistant for the Governance and Institutional Development sector at Qatar Charity, said that there is a commitment from Qatar Charity to support employment and assist local authorities to achieve sustainable development.Al-Ghamdi added that Qatar Charity's efforts in the Middle East and North Africa focus on strengthening the capacities of localNGOs working in child protection, and increasing funding for child protection.HE. Dr. Danilo Türk, President of the Club of Madrid, said that there is an urgent need to early consult local actors protecting children by UNICEF, in addition to the need to assist before, stressing the need to allow local actors to play a vital role in the field of humanitarian work.Mr. Cornelius Willems, Associate Director and Global Chief of Child Protection Program, UNICEF, noted the need for the coordination of humanitarian action by local and national authorities and promoting critical partnerships with local organizations while working on the adoption of comprehensive risk management.Ms. Dagan Ali, Executive Director of Africa Development Solutions (Adeso), emphasized the need to pay attention to local humanitarian organizations, which have many capabilities to serve local communities but lack the necessary funding. The workshop highlighted the challenges facing humanitarian organizations and humanitarian workers operating in child protection, searching for solutions to these challenges, and adopting the best means for humanitarian services.