Doha’s mediation extends beyond ceasefires, Qatar’s Al-Muftah says

Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Hind Abdulrahman Al-Muftah, says Doha’s mediation efforts extend beyond ceasefires to help secure lasting solutions.Qatar has stressed the need for continued diplomatic engagement after ceasefires and political agreements are reached, warning that their long-term success depends on implementation, rebuilding trust and addressing the consequences of conflict.Hind Abdulrahman Al-Muftah, Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva, outlined Doha’s approach to mediation in an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA) on Saturday.Al-Muftah said Qatar’s mediation efforts are based on bringing opposing sides closer together and creating the right conditions for dialogue, while leaving decisions over the eventual outcome to the parties involved.Doha also works with international and regional partners to increase the chances of reaching sustainable solutions, she said.Qatar’s experience has demonstrated the importance of continuing diplomatic efforts even when negotiations face difficulties or setbacks, according to Al-Muftah, as keeping channels open can preserve the possibility of eventually reaching an agreement.However, she stressed that securing a ceasefire or political settlement is only one stage of the process.“Reaching a ceasefire or political agreement represents an essential step, and at the same time the beginning of a new phase that requires continued efforts to support implementation and sustainability,” Al-Muftah said.Among the main challenges after an agreement is reached are ensuring the parties uphold their commitments, rebuilding trust and addressing the humanitarian, economic and social consequences left by the conflict.Al-Muftah said the durability of any agreement ultimately depends on the willingness of the parties to implement it, alongside regional and international support to consolidate progress and address the underlying causes of the conflict.She added that the long-term success of mediation depends on whether the parties and their partners can turn agreements into a sustainable process that strengthens stability and reduces the risk of renewed conflict.Diplomacy and humanitarian actionAl-Muftah also highlighted the relationship between Qatar’s diplomatic and humanitarian work, saying contemporary crises have shown that the political and humanitarian tracks are closely interconnected.Mediation can help create conditions for humanitarian assistance to reach civilians and improve their protection, while humanitarian action can reduce the consequences of conflict and create an environment more conducive to continued dialogue and eventual reconstruction, she said.Al-Muftah called for stronger coordination between countries and other actors involved in mediation and the United Nations and its humanitarian and development agencies.She said Qatar and the UN could build on their existing partnership by combining Doha’s experience in mediation and dialogue with the humanitarian and development capabilities of the UN system and its partners.The approach could help produce more integrated and sustainable responses to crises while protecting civilians and facilitating humanitarian access, she added.Qatar’s UNHCR contributions top $440 millionAl-Muftah also pointed to Qatar’s longstanding partnership with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), which dates back to cooperation between the agency and Qatari humanitarian organisations in the 1990s.Qatar has contributed more than $440 million, equivalent to over QAR 1.6 billion, to UNHCR programmes to date, according to Al-Muftah.The funding has supported refugees, internally displaced people and host communities across areas including education, shelter, healthcare, livelihoods and cash assistance.Cooperation has expanded over the years to include Qatar Foundation, Education Above All, Qatar Charity, Qatar Red Crescent Society, Qatar Airways, Silatech and the Sheikh Thani bin Abdullah Al Thani Humanitarian Fund.The partnership reached a new stage in May 2025, when Qatar and UNHCR held their first high-level strategic dialogue at the agency’s headquarters in Geneva.The meeting examined ways to strengthen cooperation, including the allocation and distribution of humanitarian assistance for refugees, and saw an agreement signed to support UNHCR’s core resources for 2025 and 2026 with funding from the Qatar Fund for Development.Al-Muftah said Qatar intends to continue building on the partnership and expanding cooperation with UNHCR as forced displacement and humanitarian needs increase around the world.