QNA

Doha: The Director-General of Public Security H E Staff Major General Saad bin Jassim Al Khulaifi said the State of Qatar holds high ranking in the list of safest countries in the world and its successful development is a reflection to the stability, safety and peace in the State, despite all challenges and crises in the region.

In an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), Al Khulaifi touched on many topics related to the efforts of the Ministry of Interior and its success in the field of security and services as well as its preparations for the future including securing the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Al Khulaifi said the factors of success and growth seen in the State for different services and development programs is a normal reflection of the success in security, amidst the crises and terrorist attacks taking place in the region. This is an indication of the strength of the security structure in Qatar which has been confirmed by the international indicators which is completely neutral, where the State has assumed an advanced position among the countries of the world, he said.

The Director-General said these successes come despite the imposed unjust siege on the State, where Qatar has struck a great example for resilience facing regional and global challenges with tact and professionalism and continued to move towards achieving goals with determination.

Staff Major General said the wise directives of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani followed by the accurate follow-up by Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani has made Qatar the region’s leader in peace, safety and stability.

Al Khulaifi said in 2016 and 2017, Qatar ranked first among the GCC and Arab countries and the 30th out of 163 countries in the Global Peace Index.

This is due to the low crime rates especially those of murder and violence, the low number of prisoners, the absence of terrorism and the stability of the political situation, he added.

The Director General said Qatar ranked first globally in the years between 2014 and 2017 in the business costs of crime and violence index of the Global Competitiveness Report. In addition, it was ranked sixth in combating organised crime, ninth in public confidence index in services provided to the public, he said.

Al Khulaifi said these rankings indicate the amount of efforts exerted in maintaining peace and security on a local and external scale and refutes the suspicions, allegations and fabrications that the siege counries have to prove which is that Qatar supports terrorism.

Al Khulaifi said in light of these achievements, the State of Qatar was able counter all malicious attempts by the siege countries to undermine its security and deprive its decision and sovereignty and make it dependent through false claims, according to the global community.

H E Staff Major General Saad bin Jassim Al Khulaifi, the Director- General of Public Security

Al Khulaifi said the siege countries sought to distort Qatar’s image through terrorism and destabilise the region. They also tried to weaken the State whether through an economic siege or other tactics but it failed greatly and Qatar remained strong in its security, economy, sovereignty, diplomacy and international presence, he said.

The Director General of Public Security highlighted Qatar’s clear and firm stance since the beginning of the crises, which is that dialogue is the only way to resolve the issue, provided that the sovereignty of the State or interference in its internal affairs is not affected.

Al Khulaifi said expressed his thanks and gratitude to the Amir of the State of Kuwait H H Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah for all the efforts made to resolve the crisis. Staff Major General also praised the role of all the brotherly and friendly countries that supported Kuwait’s mediation to resolve it, reiterating that the solution will only come through dialogue.

MoI’s achievements

In response to a question on the Ministry of Interior’s most important achievements in the security and service fields in the light of its past strategy (2011-2016), the Director General of Public Security confirmed that the Ministry has made clear and tangible achievements during the past period, through the implementation of the strategies on the ground, in accordance with the development and modernisation plans based on the provision of human and material capabilities and the provision of equipment and devices, considering the importance of excellence and leadership in the security and service.

In the field of services, he said that this field has witnessed a remarkable development, where the Ministry of Interior has paid attention to the completion of services and transactions, whether directed to the public or governmental and private institutions and institutions, and made it accessible to all, and also it worked in expanding the circle of access to geographically and electronically (either through Metrash 2 or through the website of the Ministry of the Interior).

The Staff Major General stressed the keenness of the Ministry of Interior on moving forward in providing services to the public in different classes and categories, according to its strategy based on the application of ‘Decentralized services’ and serving the public through various digital platforms and geographical locations.

On the achievements in the filed of security, he pointed out that the Ministry is always seeking to establish security and stability all over the country and to achieve public safety.

The Director General of Public Security said the security stability witnessed by the State of Qatar came through the rapid development and modernisation of security and police agencies at both technical and human levels, significant and ongoing partnerships with police and security organs in different countries both in the area of training and capacity-building or the creation of secured and safe environment.

Staff Major General Saad bin Jassim Al Khulaifi said the Ministry of the Interior has made huge leaps in the field of public security, which relates to the security situation in the country, where major crimes rates significantly dropped in Qatar according to international security indexes, and despite the high population within the country during the past years.

In this context, he pointed out that the indicators of the security situation for the past year witnessed a significant decrease in the number of communications of major crimes at the level of specialised security and geographic departments. Major crimes amounted 3 percent of the total number of criminal offenses committed in 2016, while the rate of serious crimes also decreased by 12.9% compared to previous years.

Speaking to QNA, Al Khulaifi said that the Ministry of Interior applies the highest international standards of community safety and security, in order to preserve lives and properties, in line with the global indicators for measuring the state of peace and security in the world.

Fighting terrorism

Responding to a question on Qatar’s cooperation with other countries as well as regional and international organizations to address the challenges associated with terrorism, organized crime and drugs, Maj. Gen. Al Khulaifi said that the State of Qatar has a comprehensive vision for fighting terrorism, organized crime and drugs, adding that Doha’s efforts to achieve international peace and security have become clear and visible to the whole world.

In this context, He pointed that the State of Qatar, for example, strongly supported the Doha Declaration issued by the 13th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, a declaration on crime prevention and criminal justice in cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

He explained that this declaration, funded by the State of Qatar represented by the Ministry of Interior, has so far managed to reach more than 20,000 beneficiaries under the four components of it the various programs (Integrity of the Judiciary, Education for Justice, Youth Sports for Crime Prevention, Rehabilitation of Prisoners. The Declaration has covered 192 countries.

The Staff Major General said that the Ministry also chairs the National Committee to Combat Terrorism. “The State of Qatar has signed several agreements, memorandums of understanding and letters of intent to reaffirm the principle of international cooperation to combat terrorism as well as related crimes.”

On the level of combating organised crime, he said Qatar participates in all meetings and conferences held at the regional and international levels adding that it has made initiatives and proposals that have been accepted by specialists in order to reduce organized crime in all its forms. He further stressed the need for joining all international and regional efforts to combat crime and achieve justice.

Security efforts

He also pointed out that the Ministry of the Interior has built systems and committees and issued laws and rules to keep pace with local, regional and international security developments. He pointed out in this context to the establishment of several important committees to strengthen security efforts and international communication, including the National Committee for Combating Terrorism, the National Committee for Combating Drugs, the National Committee for Traffic Safety and the Supreme Civil Defence Council in addition to the modernisation and development of various sectors and security departments in the ministry.

The Director-General revealed the establishment of a special, fully equipped, building for the coasts and borders security, which will be opened soon, to enhance protection and monitoring of the coasts and territorial waters of the State. “This development comes in the context of the development and modernisation of various security departments and sectors in the State,” he said.

About the most sensitive security systems, he told QNA that the Ministry of the Interior has an electronic security system equipped with advanced appliances and trained qualified personnel to protect all state institutions in light of the many hacking attempts, in addition to combating cybercrime, stressing the importance of this system and its role in protecting and securing the World Cup in Qatar 2022.

Qatar 2022

On the role played by the Ministry of the Interior in the preparations for the World Cup Qatar 2022 and its training programs in this regard, Maj. Gen Al Khulaifi explained that the Ministry of Interior is part of the international event, pointing to the terms of reference of the Security Committee of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), which oversees and takes responsibility for the security aspects of the 2022 World Cup. He explained that the Ministry of Interior’s Strategy 2018-2022 has put securing the hosting of the 2022 World Cup as a core objective, “In this context, we are working with a clear training plan in building the human and technical capabilities of police and security personnel.

The Director-General of Public Security said the Ministry of Interior continuously seeks to implement its plans and programs to expand outlets of these services as needed to enable the public to get their transactions done, whereas the coverage rate of services in the State reached 95 percent.

Police training

On attracting, qualifying and training Qatari personnel to work in the Ministry of Interior, Al Khulaifi said it began with the first police training school which was established in 1971 train all employees of the ministry and develop police work in the country, the school’s name was then changed to Police Training Institute in 1983.

He said the institute provides the police with trained human resources qualified to carry out its duties. It also works on raising the level and efficiency of the police staff by conducting refresher training courses, developing police curricula and training them at the level non-commissioned officers. Al Khulaifi said the State stayed up to date with the scientific and academic development, where Amiri Decision No. 161 of 2013 was issued to establish the Police College and its subordination to the ministry.

On qualifying female candidates in the police and security force, Al Khulaifi said Qatar is one of the most developed countries in all activities especially that related to women. There are now female advisory council members and women in academic, medical, administrative and police fields. He said the ministry gives great importance to qualifying and training women in different civil and military sectors and praised the great successes achieved by women in the security and services field.

On the Permanent Committee for Emergency (PCE) in the Ministry of Interior, he said the PCE is generally specialised in preparing studies, developing plans and procedures to deal with disasters and setting rules and regulations to ensure the speedy relief of those affected and ensuring the safety and security of transportation and communications, as well as developing and disseminating awareness plans in the media.

Permanent residency

On the laws recently enacted such as the permanent residency, asylum and the amendment of the law of expatriates entry, exit and residency, Al Khulaifi said that these laws have been enacted in the framework of Qatar’s keenness on ensuring and protecting human rights. He stated that the Permanent Residence Card is an extension of fundamental constitutional concepts and a vivid embodiment of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s speeches when he joins the citizens with the residents. It targets benefiting from the competencies residing in the country.

On the procedures of implementation of this law by the Ministry of Interior, the Director General of Public Security stated that a working team has been set up to prepare for the implementation of this law by preparing the necessary decisions to implement it and to select the headquarters and the necessary technical and human requirement.

He said several meetings were held with the competent authorities, namely the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Municipality and Environment on determining of the rules and conditions of the permanent residence card in accordance with the law. He said that all applications for permanent residency are subject to legal scrutiny to ensure compliance with all legal conditions and other conditions by legal auditors.

On the amendment in Article 7 of Law No. (21) of 2015, regulating the entry and exit of expatriates and their residency, Al Khulaifi said that such laws are a natural development through which the rights of the workers can be better protected, especially since Qatar has started a new approach in the recruitment of workers.

Law of asylum

Speaking about the law of asylum, Al Khulaifi said that this law comes as a result of the development of international law, and asylum is generally the result of reasons that make the people come out of their country as a result of fear or conflict or other. The United Nations represented by the UNHCR adopted in September 2016 a set of commitments to strengthen the protection of refugees and migrants.

As for the objectives Interior Ministry’s strategy for the next five years at the security and service level, Al Khulaifi noted that the strategy comes in the context of the Ministry’s keenness to perform its duties and tasks in accordance with planned programs and plans that harness all possibilities for preserving security, lives and property, and for providing excellent services for citizens and residents.

In the context of this vision and these objectives, The Ministry developed it strategy for the years (2018-2022), which includes many goals derived from Qatar National Vision 2030, he added.

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