Geneva: The UAE’s Permanent Representative to the UN and other international organisations yesterday refuted allegations made by the Qatari Minister of Foreign Affairs in his address before the 36th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Obaid Salem Al Za’abi condemned Qatar’s continuous attempts to mislead international public opinion with regard to the crisis.
He also rapped Qatar for denying its support for terrorism, funding and promoting the rhetoric of hatred and sedition, and interference in the internal affairs of other states.
“It is not correct as the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Qatar claimed that they back human rights and the right of self-determination of people.
“This confirms that claims made by the Qatari minister that the government of Qatar is ready for dialogue are nothing more than an attempt to polish its image before the international community and world public opinion, without any change in its hostile policy.
“Qatar’s deception has even harmed international organisations, a matter that prompted the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to issue a statement on June 30, 2017, in which he expressed deep regret for the misleading reports in the Qatari media outlets.”
Mr Al Za’abi stressed the need for Qatar to refrain from supporting extremist ideologies and terrorism.
Ideology
“Over the past 20 years, Qatar established a platform for sponsoring and supporting extremism and terrorism by providing financial support and safe shelter to terrorists.
“They promoted terrorist ideology and individuals representing that ideology, with some of them designated in the international list of terrorism, which didn’t only harm many governments and people in the region, but also peoples of other countries,” he said.
He said the Qatari minister should have used the Geneva platform to declare his country’s commitment to halt support to terrorism, instead of briefing the council about “baseless and untrue allegations”.
Mr Al Za’abi also ruled out a “boycott” by Arab countries.
“Qatar’s sea and aviation ports are open to all countries, except for the boycotting nations, who took the measure as a sovereign right against Qatar’s hostile policies and after exhausting all available means.
“While the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Qatar comes to talk about the impact of the boycott, Qatari institutions boast that there are no effects of the boycott by the four countries and that life is normal there. This shows the contradictions by Qatar and its institutions.”
He said the minister’s statement lacked wisdom. “His statement does not express genuine intentions to respond positively to the mediation efforts made by the Amir of Kuwait, nor does it express readiness to understand the concerns of the four countries who have been harmed by such hostile policies,” Mr Al Za’abi said.