The State of Qatar at the 80th United Nations General Assembly

The State of Qatar participated in the 80^th United Nations General Assembly with a delegation led by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. During the high-level week, Qatar’s senior officials took part in various panels and discussions, addressing some of the most critical issues around the globe.

Here are the highlights from the Qatari delegation’s visit to New York in 2025.

UNGA General Debate: Speech by His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar

On 23 September, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani delivered a speech at the General Debate of the 80^th session of the UN General Assembly.

His Highness’ speech focused on the need to protect the international order through promoting peace and strengthening security, ensuring respect for human dignity, state sovereignty, and international cooperation.

His Highness underlined Israel’s grave violation of Qatar’s sovereignty, following an attack on the Hamas negotiating team in a residential area of Doha on 9 September. His Highness stressed that no negotiating party resorts to assassinating another delegation “unless its goal is to derail negotiations” and that, for Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government, “negotiations are nothing but a continuation of war by other means, and a way to mislead Israeli public opinion”.

His Highness emphasised Qatar’s commitment to mediation and peaceful dialogue, stating, “The State of Qatar has made a choice, as ever, to remain faithful to its approach of siding with the values and principles supposedly cherished by the international community, believing of the possibility of reconciling between these values and interests when policy is rational and realistic, while being unafraid to speak out for the voice of truth when silence prevails, and adhering to diplomacy when adversaries find it easy to use weapons.”

His Highness continued, “We have been engaged in arduous mediation to stop the war, guarantee humanitarian aid flow, and secure the release of hostages and detainees. We have faced disinformation campaigns against our exerted efforts. However, these campaigns will not deter us from carrying on our efforts in partnership with the sisterly Arabic Republic of Egypt and the United States of America.”

His Highness’ full speech can be found here.   

His Highness participated in wider efforts, alongside world leaders, to bring an end to the war in Gaza and secure the release of hostages

His Highness attended the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, demonstrating solidarity with the numerous states that announced their recognition of the State of Palestine.

His Highness participated in a roundtable with US President Trump and other Arab and Islamic leaders, to discuss a US plan to end the war in Gaza. During the meeting, His Highness stated that Qatar’s objective is to “stop the war and bring the hostages back” and that Arab leaders count on President Trump and his leadership to help bring an end to the war and help the people of Gaza. President Trump thanked His Highness for his efforts to end the war in Gaza and expressed his appreciation.

High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution: Speech by His Excellency Sultan bin Saad bin Sultan Al Muraikhi, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs

On 22 September, His Excellency Sultan bin Saad bin Sultan Al Muraikhi, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, joined leaders from around the world and delivered a speech during the UN High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution.

In his speech, His Excellency stressed that the international community’s recognition of the State of Palestine comes amid decades of injustice against the Palestinian people and the urgent deterioration in humanitarian conditions in both Gaza and the West Bank, including the expansion of settlements. His Excellency reaffirmed the importance of establishing an independent, sovereign, Palestinian state.

A wider summary of His Excellency’s speech can be found here.

Qatar’s Participation in Events on the Sidelines of UNGA 80

On the sidelines of UNGA 80, the State of Qatar participated in several events with officials from friendly nations across the world. Key activities included:

• His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, participated in the GCC Foreign Ministers Coordinating Ministerial Meeting.
• Her Excellency the Minister of State for International Cooperation Dr. Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad signed the Declaration for the Protection of Humanitarian Personnel. The declaration, endorsed by over 100 nations, aims to provide greater protection to those working in conflict zones.
• Her Excellency Maryam Al Misnad participated in a number of high-level ministerial discussions including on the protection of journalists in Gaza, water diplomacy, the ongoing security situation in the Middle East, and the de-escalation in Sudan.
• Her Excellency Maryam Al Misnad signed a Memorandum of Understanding between Qatar Fund for Development and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, aiming to support agricultural projects in the least developed communities. Her Excellency also represented Qatar at several high-level events on issues ranging from support for Palestinian children to climate action.
• His Excellency the Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Mohammed Al Khulaifi represented Qatar in a meeting of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution. His Excellency highlighted international support for the Palestinian people and reaffirmed Qatar’s conviction that the two-state solution represents an opportunity to achieve a lasting peace.
• His Excellency Dr Majed Al Ansari, Advisor to the PM and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, participated in the 2025 Concordia Annual Summit. His Excellency underlined Qatar’s critical role in mediation, highlighted Israel’s dangerous escalation in the region, and emphasised the need to safeguard the international rules-based order.
• Qatar Fund for Development and Saudi Fund for Development, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, announced a $89 million joint initiative to ensure the continuity of essential public services across Syria.
• Qatar Fund for Development co-hosted a high-level panel, alongside Gates Foundation, focused on food, health, and education, and joined a high-level event, aiming to confront famine in conflict zone.