The world has recently witnessed several absurd events held by Qatar in collaboration with the UN, aimed at whitewashing the former's deep involvement in funding terrorist and Islamist extremist organizations and in promoting corruption, and thus buying the approval of Europe and the U.S.
1. The Farce Of The Qatari Emir's Anti-Corruption Excellence Award
While Qatar's involvement in numerous corruption scandals around the world is known to all,[1] an absurd spectacle has been taking place for several years now, in cooperation with the UN: the awarding of the Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Aal Thani Anti-Corruption Excellence (ACE) Award, funded by the Qatari Emir. Qatar and the UN thus work together to build up Qatar's image as a patron of the fight against corruption, while it remains a key player in encouraging corruption worldwide.
This year's award ceremony was held on November 19, 2024 in Costa Rica's capital of San Jose, with the participation of the Emir himself and of Alexandre Zouev, the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions. The award, which has been given since 2016 in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), includes five categories, one of which is Safeguarding Sports from Corruption[2] – despite reports that Qatar bribed FIFA to select it as the host of the 2022 World Cup.[3] In his speech at the ceremony, Zouev said that "Qatar's [ACE Award] initiative significantly contributes to raising global awareness and enhancing international cooperation in combatting the phenomenon of corruption."[4]
Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Aal Thani with Giovanni Infantino, President of FIFA, which has been suspected of corruption in the context of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup (Image: Elbotola.com, November 20, 2022)
The ceremony was also attended by Qatari member of parliament and judicial expert Dr. Ali bin Fetais Al-Marri, Qatar's former attorney-general (2002-2021) who has served since 2012 as the UN Special Advocate for the Prevention of Corruption. Several days after the ceremony, the UN Secretary-General announced the renewal of Al-Marri's membership in the board of directors of the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) until 2027.[5]
In addition, the Qatari Emir and Costa Rica President Rodrigo Chaves Robles inaugurated a special monument in honor of the award in San Jose.[6]
The Qatari Emir and the Costa Rica President inaugurate a special monument in honor of the ACE award in San Jose
Another anti-corruption event sponsored by Qatar and the UN took place in Doha on November 26-27, 2024, namely a conference on fighting corruption in the members states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Sponsored by Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Abd Al-Rahman Aal Thani, the conference was organized by the Qatari Administrative Control and Transparency Authority (ACTA), and was attended by anti-corruption chiefs from the 56 OIC states, alongside representatives of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Interpol, the World Bank, the Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the EU, and the African Union, among other bodies.[7]
2. The Farce Of Qatar's Funding Of The UN Office Of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT)
Another farce is the marketing of Qatar as a country that combats terrorism, again with the cooperation of the UN, while it is widely known as a patron of numerous terrorist organizations.[8] To sanitize its image, Qatar funds UN bodies devoted to combating terrorism, such as the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), to which Qatar is the largest contributor.[9] Qatar also sponsors and hosts conferences on counter-terrorism in conjunction with relevant UN agencies.
The mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks was Khalid Sheikh Mohammad (KSM), a former Qatari government employee[10]
For instance, on November 20, 2024, at UN headquarters in New York, UNOCT and the Qatari government held their sixth High-Level Strategic Dialogue on counter-terrorism. Qatar was represented in the dialogue by Sheikha Alya Ahmed Saif Aal Thani, Qatar's Permanent Representative to the UN, and by the Qatari Foreign Minister's Special Envoy on Counterterrorism and Mediation, Faisal Abdullah Al-Henzab, while the UN was represented by the Under Secretary General for Counterterrorism Vladimir Voronkov and by the Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the Counterterrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), Natalia Gherman.
The dialogue dealt with the collaboration between Qatar and the UNOCT in combatting terror. Sheikha Aal Thani praised the cooperation and stressed the importance of exchanging ideas on priorities and strategic initiatives and of surveying UNOCT activity funded by Qatar. She also highlighted the ongoing coordination between Qatar and other UN agencies dealing with counter-terrorism. Special Envoy Al-Henzab underscored Qatar's commitment to continuing the robust partnership with the UNOCT and lauded the achievements of the initiatives and programs funded by Qatar, which is a principal contributor to UNOCT's Trust Fund for Counter-Terrorism.[11]
The Sixth High-Level Strategic Dialogue between UNOCT and Qatar (Image: Al-Watan, Qatar, November 24, 2024)
In a separate meeting at the Strategic Dialogue, Ambassador Aal Thani and Special Envoy Al-Henzab and CTED Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director Natalia Gherman discussed the strengthening of the partnership between Qatar and the UN to combat terrorism, and specifically the funding of the programs and initiatives aimed at preventing violent extremism. Gherman praised "the pioneering role played by Qatar as a funder of initiatives to combat terrorism and strengthen world peace and security."[12]
[1] See e.g., MEMRI Daily Brief No. 563, Why Do The U.S. And Israel Tolerate Qatar's Blatant Anti-U.S. And Anti-Israel Policies?, January 16, 2024; MEMRI Daily Brief No. 570, “Qatar Is The Trojan Horse In Washington, D.C.," February 12, 2024. See also the Corruption Perceptions Index, transparency.org/en/countries/qatar; "Menendez Convicted of Corruption in Broad International Conspiracy," The New York Times (U.S.), July 16, 2024; "E.U. Roiled by Corruption Inquiry Linked to Qatar," The New York Times (U.S.), December 12, 2022.
[2] See www.aceaward.com. The previous ceremonies were held in Austria (2016), the UN headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland (2017), Malaysia (2018), Rwanda (2019), Tunisia (2020), Qatar (2022), and Uzbekistan (2023) (qna.org.qa, November 19, 2024).
[3] See e.g., The New York Times (U.S.), published April 6, 2020, updated December 18, 2022; The Guardian (U.K.), March 18, 2014.
[4] Al-Raya (Qatar), November 20, 2024.
[5] Qna.org.qa. October 14, 2022, November 20, 23, 2024.
[6] Al-Raya (Qatar), November 20, 2024.
[7] Qna.org.qa, November 26, 2024.
[8] See e.g., MEMRI Daily Brief No. 536, Qatar – Enabler Of Islamist Terrorism And A Dishonest Broker, November 1, 2023; "Terror financiers are living freely in Qatar, US discloses," The Telegraph (U.K.), November 16, 2014; MEMRI Daily Brief No. 658 - Qatar Is A State Sponsor Of Islamist Terrorism – Israel's Cooperation With It Is Strategically Disastrous And Morally Shameful – Archival, May 2022 – October 8, 2024;
Special Dispatch No. 11611 - Since Hamas' October 7 Attack On Israel, Qatar's Unreserved Support For Hamas, Incitement Against Israel, Continues On The Political, Media, Educational And Religious Levels October - 10, 2024. See also "The Case Against Qatar," Foreign Policy (U.S.). September 30, 2014; "Huge Role of Tiny Kingdom of Qatar in Libya Draws Concern," The Wall Street Journal (U.S.), October 17, 2011; "Funding Al Nusra Through Ransom: Qatar and the Myth of "Humanitarian Principle" | Consortium Against Terrorist Finance," Stopterrorfinance.org, December 10, 2015; "Al-Nusra and its Gulf Financiers: The Political Cost of a Long-Running Alliance | Consortium Against Terrorist Finance," Stopterrorfinance.org., June 24, 2016; "Qatar's Emir Visits Gaza, Pledging $400 Million to Hamas," The New York Times (U.S.), October 23, 2012; "Iraqi PM Maliki says Saudi, Qatar openly funding violence in Anbar," Reuters.com, March 9, 2014. "Is Gaza Reconstruction Aid Rearming Hamas? | Consortium Against Terrorist Finance," Stopterrorfinance.org., October 6, 2015.
[9] See Un.org/counterterrorism/funding-and-donors. Furthermore, two offices of the UNOCT are situated in Qatar – the International Hub on Behavioural Insights to Counter Terrorism, which was inaugurated in December 2020, and the UNOCT Programme Office on Parliamentary Engagement in Preventing and Countering Terrorism, which was inaugurated in June 2021, Un.org/counterterrorism, December 7, 2020; June 16, 2021.
[10] See MEMRI Daily Brief No. 651, "Qatar Is Responsible For Khalid Sheikh Mohammad's 2,977 Murders On 9/11 – At The World Trade Center And The Pentagon, And On Two Other Hijacked Flights – That Are Only Some Of 31 Attacks And Plots That He Outlined In His Own Confession – UPDATED," September 13, 2024.
[11] Un.org/counterterrorism, November 20, 2024; Al-Watan (Qatar), November 24, 2024.
[12] Mofa.gov.qa, November 23, 2024.
