DOHA: Qatar has called on the international community for rapid and effective action to protect people from drugs, Qatar’s News Agency reported on Thursday.
Speaking at the 66th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna, Sultan bin Salmeen Al-Mansouri, Qatar’s permanent representative to the UN, said action was needed in accordance with the principle of public and shared responsibility.
“Qatar has given priority to prevention efforts, immunizing society and educating it on the harm and dangers of drugs,” he said.
“This was one of the most important factors for the success of its policy in the field of prevention and drug control, in addition to law enforcement efforts, monitoring of Qatari air and sea ports, and strict application of the law.”
He added that Qatar had updated its legislation “in a way that allows responding to changes in drug trafficking patterns and new methods of drug smuggling, while preserving the principles of our constitution and with full respect for human rights.”
Al-Mansouri said Qatar was proud to play its role in international development and humanitarian efforts and would continue to uphold the values of cooperation, partnership and solidarity in helping countries and people suffering from economic crises, conflicts, poverty and debt.
“Qatar has provided many humanitarian and development contributions, especially in the framework of strategic partnerships with the UN and other leading international institutions,” he said.
“The 5th UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries, which was hosted by Qatar last week, is the latest example of these efforts, where Qatar donated $60 million to support the Doha Program of Action and build capacity in the least developed countries.”
Speaking about the 2022 World Drug Report — the first since the COVID-19 pandemic — he said: “The report presented a bleak picture of the drug situation in the world, as cocaine production reached a record high level.”
Seizures of synthetic drugs had increased dramatically, markets were expanding, more young people were taking drugs and people who needed treatment, especially women, were unable to get it, he added.
Al-Mansouri said efforts to combat drugs were needed according to the mechanisms of international pluralism and based on the three international conventions on drugs, political declarations and approved action plans, starting with the 2009 Declaration.
Qatar calls for international action to combat drugs
https://arab.news/vupcy
Qatar calls for international action to combat drugs
- Nation ‘has given priority to prevention efforts,’ UN representative tells conference
- Latest World Drug Report paints ‘bleak picture,’ Sultan bin Salmeen Al-Mansouri says
Israel police to deploy around Al-Aqsa for Ramadan, Palestinians report curbs
- The Al-Aqsa compound is a central symbol of Palestinian identity and also a frequent flashpoint
JERUSALEM: Israeli police said Monday that they would deploy in force around the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins this week, as Palestinian officials accused Israel of imposing restrictions at the compound.
Over the course of the month of fasting and prayer, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians traditionally attend prayers at Al-Aqsa — Islam’s third-holiest site, located in east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967 and later annexed.
Arad Braverman, a senior Jerusalem police officer, said forces would be deployed “day and night” across the compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, and in the surrounding area.
He said thousands of police would also be on duty for Friday prayers, which draw the largest crowds of Muslim worshippers.
Braverman said police had recommended issuing 10,000 permits for Palestinians from the occupied West Bank, who require special permission to enter Jerusalem.
He did not say whether age limits would apply, adding that the final number of people would be decided by the government.
The Palestinian Jerusalem Governorate said in a separate statement it had been informed that permits would again be restricted to men over 55 and women over 50, mirroring last year’s criteria.
It said Israeli authorities had blocked the Islamic Waqf — the Jordanian?run body administering the site — from carrying out routine preparations, including installing shade structures and setting up temporary medical clinics.
A Waqf source confirmed the restrictions and said 33 of its employees had been barred from entering the compound in the week before Ramadan.
The Al-Aqsa compound is a central symbol of Palestinian identity and also a frequent flashpoint.
Under long?standing arrangements, Jews may visit the compound — which they revere as the site of their second temple, destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD — but they are not permitted to pray there.
Israel says it is committed to maintaining this status quo, though Palestinians fear it is being eroded.
Braverman reiterated Monday that no changes were planned.
In recent years, a growing number of Jewish ultranationalists have challenged the prayer ban, including far?right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir, who prayed at the site while serving as national security minister in 2024 and 2025.
