Registration for this event is now closed.
In many of today’s armed conflicts, Qatar plays an important role in mediation. Qatar has gained credit for brokering peace treaties in Darfur, as well as for mediating between the parties in Lebanon to avoid a recurrence of war. Recently, Qatar has engaged as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine, as well as between Hamas and Israel.
Qatar is a small state, situated in a region which hosts many of the world’s armed conflicts, but also possesses considerable resources. It has pursued an independent foreign policy and cultivated an ability to access controversial actors such as Hamas or the Taliban. Its role in mediation and conflict resolution has contributed to Qatar’s global recognition and significance. But what is the strategic thinking that informs Qatar’s engagement in mediation and conflict resolution? What are the resources that Qatar taps into, and how are those resources being leveraged? Are there geographic areas or types of conflict that Qatar does not want to engage with, and if so, on what grounds?
This event will provide the opportunity to meet H.E. Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, Minister of State with Qatar’s Foreign Ministry. Dr. Al-Khulaifi will lay out the basic strategic thinking behind Qatar’s engagement in peace diplomacy and illustrate this with examples from its mediation over Ukraine, Gaza and elsewhere.
Program
- Presentation by H.E. Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, Minister of State of Qatar
- Comment by Dr. Kristian Berg Harpviken, Research Professor, PRIO Middle East Centre
Moderated by Dr. Pinar Tank, Senior Researcher, PRIO Middle East Centre
