Qatar calls for boosting international cooperation in combating terrorism

DOHA: The State of Qatar has renewed its call for strengthening cooperation at the international, regional and national levels in the field of combating terrorism, expressing the hope of finding bilateral and multilateral agreements to combat the abhorrent phenomenon of terrorism and confronting the most important challenges facing international cooperation in this regard.

This came in a statement delivered by Major General Abdul Aziz Al Ansari, Director of International Cooperation Department and Chairman of National Counter-Terrorism Committee and head of the delegation of the State of Qatar participating in the High-level Conference of Heads of Counter-Terrorism Agencies in the United Nations Member States, which began its work yesterday at United Nations Headquarters in New York, QNA reported.

At the first session on Opportunities and Challenges for Enhancing International Cooperation through Information Exchange, Major General Al Ansari said that since the adoption of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001), which requested Member States to exchange information in accordance with international and national laws and bilateral and multilateral cooperation, the State of Qatar implemented the content of the resolution and subsequent resolutions through closer cooperation and exchange of information with brotherly and friendly countries and international organizations.

In this context, Al Ansari pointed out to the cooperation of the State of Qatar with the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committees and its subcommittees, including Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee under the relevant Security Council resolutions, and the Counter-Terrorism Committee established by Security Council resolution 1373 and its Executive Directorate.

He added that the State of Qatar had facilitated the urgent exchange of information in the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) in accordance with the methods of a special tribunal in light of the diversity and expansion of the activities of terrorist groups.

He said that at the regional level, the State of Qatar, through the League of Arab States and the Gulf Cooperation Council, has been keen to exchange information as quickly as possible with sister countries to prevent terrorists from obtaining safe places, pointing out that the State of Qatar provided the database of terrorist fighters of the Arab Group with the necessary data.

On the bilateral level, the Chairman of the National Counterterrorism Committee said that the State of Qatar has signed a number of agreements, memorandums of understanding and bilateral letters of intent with friendly countries to enhance the exchange of information on counterterrorism and terrorists and the use of specialised programs in the pursuit of terrorists.

He hoped that agreement would be reached on the importance of concerted efforts among all members to address the most important challenges facing international cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

He also stressed the importance of bilateral and multilateral agreements, as well as cooperating with countries and organizations that have databases to create a network of information shared by everyone in order to speed the circulation of information and the prosecution of foreign fighters wherever they are and reduce their risk.