Cairo (UNA/QNA) – Tariq Ali Faraj Al-Ansari, Qatar's Ambassador to Egypt and Permanent Representative to the Arab League, stressed that the Israeli occupation undermines the Arab family unit, and that Arab families under occupation are a stark example of the disintegration of social structures due to systematic oppression.
“It is impossible to discuss the challenges facing the Arab family without considering the devastating impact of the Israeli occupation on the family structure and stability. Families under occupation, especially Palestinian families and those in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights and Lebanon, represent a stark example of the disintegration of social structures due to systematic oppression,” he said, adding that the occupation did not stop at stripping the land of its people, but also directly targeted families through policies of arrest, home demolitions, forced separation of family members, and the imposition of a siege, which led to the disintegration of family ties and the distortion of roles within the family.
This came in a speech delivered by the Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Arab Republic of Egypt and the country's Permanent Representative to the League of Arab States during the launch of the First Arab Regional Policy Forum on the Doha Declaration: The Family and Major Contemporary Changes. The forum is being organized by the Doha International Family Institute, a member of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, over two days in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, in cooperation with the State of Qatar's delegation to the League of Arab States, and in partnership with the League's General Secretariat.
Al-Ansari added that the structural targeting of the family, as the nucleus of Arab society, goes beyond human dimensions to touch upon the essence of identity and belonging, threatening to inherit suffering and instability across generations. Therefore, any strategic vision for empowering the Arab family is incomplete without including the occupation as a structural factor undermining the family.
His Excellency continued: “While some families are ravaged by conflict and strife, others are suffering from increasing economic pressures, the challenges of migration, and the digital divide. This is inseparable from the cultural and social changes that threaten traditional family identities and significantly impact the family’s role and ability to provide psychological and social stability for its members.”
Mr. Tariq Ali Faraj Al Ansari emphasized that promoting family stability and strengthening family cohesion is one of the fundamental goals of Qatar National Vision 2030. This vision stems from a firm belief that a cohesive family is the foundation for building a prosperous and stable society. Based on this, the State of Qatar has given family issues a central focus in its development vision, recognizing that family cohesion is the cornerstone of social stability and the foundation for human development.
He explained that in light of the growing challenges facing families in our region, from rapid social and economic transformations to humanitarian crises and conflicts, the State of Qatar has been keen to be at the forefront of countries taking the initiative to understand these transformations and address them from a comprehensive perspective, balancing the preservation of family values with openness to the requirements of the times. This commitment is embodied in its ongoing support for research and policies that enhance the resilience of the family and consolidate its position as a hub for sustainable development and societal renaissance.
He noted that this forum represents an extension of the State of Qatar's efforts to support family issues regionally and internationally, the most recent of which was the 1994th Anniversary Conference of the International Year of the Family, held in Doha last October, marking three decades since the XNUMX United Nations Declaration. The conference discussed contemporary challenges such as demographic and technological changes, migration, and climate change.
He stated that this conference had issued the “Doha Declaration,” which included more than 30 recommendations to support families and strengthen social policies. This declaration is considered a complement to the 2014 Doha Call, which called for empowering families, achieving work-life balance, and comprehensive development. He explained that the forum currently being held comes to carry the torch of follow-up and activation of what was stated in the Doha Declaration, going beyond the limits of theoretical recommendations to examine practical mechanisms for their implementation, in light of the profound transformations that the Arab family is witnessing.
He considered the forum to be a high-level dialogue platform that enhances integration between policymakers, researchers, and practitioners, and paves the way for developing well-thought-out family policies based on accurate knowledge, successful field experiences, and effective institutional cooperation. He noted the complex and multidimensional challenges facing Arab families today, which go beyond global transformations such as economic, social, and technological changes, and which overlap with the cultural, social, and economic specificities that characterize the region.
In conclusion, the Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the League of Arab States expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the Doha International Family Institute, the League of Arab States, and all the partners who contributed to the launch of this forum. He affirmed the State of Qatar’s unwavering support for all regional and international initiatives that seek to empower the family, preserve its dignity, and enhance its ability to withstand rapid changes. He also expressed his hope that this forum would be a serious step towards formulating a common Arab vision that translates coordination into policies and transforms recommendations into a tangible impact on the lives of Arab families and communities.
For her part, Dr. Sharifa Noaman Al-Emadi, Executive Director of the Doha International Family Institute, emphasized that the forum aims to reconvene following the Doha Declaration to discuss how to implement policies to support families and strengthen social policies in Arab countries. She explained that the forum will present international experiences in this field, as it represents an important platform for this constructive dialogue.
She said the Arab Regional Policy Forum brings together policymakers and researchers to exchange insights on ways to address the major transformations affecting families in the modern era. She considered the most dangerous transformation affecting families to be technological change, which, while having a positive aspect, also has a significant negative impact as a result of its use.
The Executive Director of the Doha International Family Institute commended the State of Qatar's efforts in this area, explaining that the State of Qatar has been able to develop and integrate family policies into school curricula.
For her part, Her Excellency Sheikha Dr. Hessa bint Hamad Al Thani, Associate Professor at Qatar University, said that the forum coincides with the need to shed light on pivotal family issues and their profound impact on reality. She added that these issues affect the individual as well as the community, and their impact extends to include the nation and the people in their broadest sense, targeting the nation's identity, language, spiritual values, and cultural and civilizational heritage.
She pointed to the accelerating pace of digitization and the intertwining of technology with the details of daily life and the features of family communication, which have become digital. She argued that although technology has opened new horizons for communication, it has also weakened family bonds through silent browsing on phones, text messages, and intermittent notifications from distant seats illuminated by the glow of mobile phones.
She stated, "There is no way to stop the wheel of technology, and we do not deny the benefits that social media platforms offer, but the danger we must be aware of is going beyond the limit, as it can backfire. The International Year of the Family conference in Doha came to draw attention to the fact that there are major contemporary trends that are having a significant impact on the cohesion of the family nucleus in our societies."
For her part, Her Excellency Dr. Maya Morsi, Minister of Social Solidarity of the Arab Republic of Egypt, affirmed her support for the State of Qatar's efforts to strengthen protective legislation that safeguards women's rights, combats domestic violence, adopts economic empowerment policies, and integrates women into all sectors, particularly new economies such as the green and digital economy, in addition to expanding the scope of protection programs targeting women.
She emphasized the need for policies that take into account the specific needs and circumstances of Arab women, as well as the need for sustainable funding to support protection and empowerment programs, in addition to educational systems that train generations to respect the role of women within and outside the family. She also pointed out that Arab society needs a media discourse that reaffirms the role of women and reveals the extent of the daily challenges they face.
“We cannot speak today in isolation from what is happening in the Gaza Strip,” she said, stressing the need to take a serious stand to alleviate the tragedy facing Palestinian civilians, who are living under the burden of forced displacement after losing their homes and suffering the harshness of living in the open, amidst continuous, relentless bombardment, an inhumane environment, and food insecurity, all of which point to an imminent humanitarian disaster on the social level.
She added that most Palestinian families have lost their breadwinners, leading to an increasing number of children who are now vulnerable to danger and exploitation. She believes that these conditions highlight the challenges facing Arab women and families in the areas of work, economic empowerment, wars, and conflicts, and underscore the need for effective policies to support their participation in economic and social life.
Her Excellency Ambassador Haifa Abu Ghazaleh, Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Social Affairs Sector at the League of Arab States, said that the Doha Declaration issued by the 30th Anniversary Conference of the International Year of the Family constitutes a frame of reference that reflects the collective Arab awareness of the need to respond to the transformations affecting and targeting the family on the demographic, technological, environmental, religious, or social levels.
She added that the forum serves as a tool for implementing the Doha Declaration by enhancing regional cooperation and reviewing major practices in the field of family policies. It also serves as a dialogue platform between researchers and decision-makers, contributing to the development of effective responses based on evidence and scientific knowledge.
The First Arab Regional Policy Forum on the Doha Declaration: The Family and Major Contemporary Changes includes a number of sessions addressing the Arab family, contemporary transformations, means of support, and current threats to family principles in the Arab region, as well as ways to address them at the national and regional levels. It also highlights Doha as a model of partnership for a cohesive family, in addition to addressing the role of the family and technological changes in the Arab world, reviewing countries' experiences with major contemporary changes, and many other topics.
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