DOHA, March 6, 2023 – President Mahmoud Abbas affirmed that the State of Palestine remains committed to implementing the Sustainable Development Agenda and its goals, while taking into account the special circumstances of the least developed countries.

In his address to the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, held in the Qatari capital, Doha, President Abbas highlighted that Palestine had successfully launched a key national document, “The Atlas of Sustainable Development 2020,” aimed at documenting the country’s development efforts and progress.

The President stressed the urgent need for both immediate and long-term measures to enable the least developed countries to recover and advance toward achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

He called on the international community to uphold the principle of bridging gaps between nations, achieving greater equity, and empowering the least developed peoples through shared responsibility and genuine international support to help them overcome current challenges and move toward a new phase of development.

President Abbas expressed his hope for continued international support for Palestine’s efforts to defend the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people to self-determination, freedom, and independence.

He called on the international community to confront and hold accountable Israel for its ongoing aggression against the Palestinian people, and to work toward ending the Israeli occupation of the land of the State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The President reaffirmed that achieving peace is a shared global responsibility, emphasizing that “peace is a partnership that requires the collective effort of the entire world.”

“We hope to work together to strengthen respect for the rule of law and accountability, prevent violations and conflicts, build and sustain peace, and achieve comprehensive and sustainable development for all — to make the world a better and fairer place for all humanity,” he said.

President Abbas concluded by extending his gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, for Qatar’s consistent political and economic support for the Palestinian people.