Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), Hassan Al Thawadi, said that the State of Qatar is keen to organize a unique FIFA World Cup with the highest standards of safety and security, stressing the importance of global cooperation to organize safe sports events.

Speaking at the opening session of the first Major Event Safety and Security Conference in Doha, Al Thawadi said that the State of Qatar’s vision about the securing the World Cup is reflected in achieving an accomplishment similar to those made by Doha in the field of security, noting that the State of Qatar leads regional countries in the global indicators of safety and security in addition to its advanced rank globally.

He said the State of Qatar is continuously working on ensuring a safe and secure environment for its people and residents, noting that the stable and secure environment was the foundation of rapid development that the country has witnessed and continues to witness.

He added that Qatar has become well-known globally for its safety, where it was ranked as the safest country in the MENA region for the ninth consecutive time in the Global Peace Index, which was complied by the Institute for Economics and Peace.

Al Thawadi said Qatar also is one of the top ten countries in terms of safety and security in the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report, where it stands side by side with Switzerland and Singapore.

Al Thawadi confirmed Qatar’s commitment to start dialogue and fight poverty through development, humanitarian aids and investing in education since it is the ideal tool to build a promising future for the Qatari people and other populations in the Middle East and around the world.

The Sc secretary general said the World Cup is a unique platform to strengthen the understanding between the people of the east and west. adding that it is impossible to find an event that unifies humans of different origins, religions and cultures as much as the World Cup does.

He highlighted the relationship between SC and Interpol, which was officially established in the 81st Interpol general assembly in Rome nearly five years ago.

Five years away from the 2022 World Cup, Al Thawadi said, Qatar is half way through since the cooperation agreement was signed with Interpol. He added that signing the agreement reflects the commitment to secure the first World Cup in the Middle East.

Al Thawadi added that the agreement reflects the importance of cooperation and coordination with international law enforcement agencies to ensure organizing a safe sports event. he noted that the agreement, which was signed in 2012, included the obligation of hosting conferences such as the current event, which is considered an important gathering for experts in the security field.

The conference hosts a large number of experts with great experience in securing major events, including government officials, law enforcement officials, academics, private sector representatives and cybersecurity experts, Al Thawadi said.

He added that the importance of global cooperation to ensure safety and security increases daily, noting that events such as the World Cup or the Olympics are not safe or secure without a comprehensive global security network consisting of law enforcement institutions working harmoniously together.

The SC secretary general confirmed the importance of cooperation to face security threats, notably terrorism, adding that the global community is tirelessly working to combat transnational terrorism and it is imperative that individuals, organizations and states cooperate to lessen the effects of factors that vulnerable groups to the wrong path.

Al Thawadi hoped that the first Major Event Safety and Security Conference would conclude with a better understanding of how events were secured in the past and how they will be secured in the future, with a particular focus on 2022.

He also hoped that this partnership leaves behind a lasting legacy for the international law enforcement community and its methods in planning events such as the World Cup and Olympics

Source: Fana News