HE President of Zanzibar Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi praised the significant care and extensive attention that the State of Qatar devotes to families, empowering them, and providing everything possible for their stability and well-being.
HE the President of Zanzibar noted Qatar's establishment of a ministry and institutions dedicated to families, children, the elderly, and youth, stemming from its belief in the importance of a cohesive family as the nucleus of society. This has made Qatar one of the leading examples in the world in this regard.
Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on the sidelines of his participation in the 30th Anniversary of the International Year of the Family Conference, currently being held in Doha under the theme "Family and Contemporary Megatrends", HE the President said Qatar provides one of the best examples in the world of how to care for families. This is evident in all Qatari institutions, including the ministry, all government bodies as well as non-governmental organizations operating in the country that are responsible for various family groups.
This is one of the best examples of how to support families and ensure well-being and prosperity for the Qatari people. Other countries, including Zanzibar, have a good opportunity to learn from Qatar's approach to family care, His Excellency added.
In his interview with QNA, HE Dr. Mwinyi reviewed the numerous challenges facing families in today's world, including demographic, social, economic, and technological challenges, as well as wars and conflicts and their consequences, such as displacement, migration and forced relocation. He called for serious efforts to address and overcome these challenges for the benefit of families, individuals, communities and nations as a whole.
In this regard, HE the President of Zanzibar praised the efforts and valued initiatives of the State of Qatar in resolving conflicts and fostering harmony among nations through peaceful and diplomatic means; emphasizing that these efforts are commendable as they positively impact families, reunite their members and contribute to their development and well-being.
He believed that conflicts around the world impose a heavy toll on the populations, particularly on families, because wars displace people and affect families. In this context, His Excellency commended the State of Qatar for its involvement in mediation and attempts to find solutions to conflicts, which is extremely significant for families which suffer from conflicts' consequences.
Qatar's mediation efforts in various countries experiencing conflicts and wars are highly commendable and should be emulated by other nations to reduce losses and mitigate the consequences that families endure during conflicts and wars, His Excellency stressed.
HE the President of Zanzibar emphasized importance of supporting and empowering families, noting that he had the opportunity to state at the conference that all countries should prioritize families; and include them in their development programs.
Zanzibar, for example, has prioritized the family and established a five-year development plan in order to devise strategies on the best ways to assist families, HE the President added.
The talk about care of families covers all age groups - children, women, the elderly, and youth, His Excellency noted; stressing that social protection for families is the fundamental issue when it comes to protecting populations and ensuring their well-being.
In his interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), HE President of Zanzibar Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi called on countries and governments to do everything necessary to support the family and develop the necessary plans and strategies. In this context, he noted the need for governments to give priority to strategies, interventions and initiatives that support families including all age groups.
His Excellency said that many countries are experiencing conflicts, and governments must be prepared to support the displaced, not only in cases of conflict; for example, there is migration to cities. The government needs to put strategies in place to make sure that they support families to reduce and mitigate the challenges they face.
HE President of Zanzibar Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi expressed his great pleasure to be in Qatar and expressed his gratitude for being invited to this very important conference on family affairs. He noted that good discussions took place on the first day about the role of family in the society, and that he had the opportunity to explain Zanzibar’s experience in social care.
HE the President of Zanzibar praised the historical relations between his country and Qatar, and said that this visit to Qatar would enhance cooperation in different spheres. He noted that attending the conference was very important because it talks about family unity and the well-being of societies and countries, but the two countries have cooperation in other areas, including the humanitarian field. He looked forward to achieving solid cooperation in various sectors.
HE the President of Zanzibar highlighted Qatar's development in various fields, describing it as impressive by all standards. He added that he had visited Qatar three times in recent years and found new advancements in each visit.
HE the President emphasized that all sectors in Qatar are functioning properly, and the State enjoys strong management and good prosperity, making Qatar a global example of prosperity.
HE Dr. Mwinyi called on Qatari businessmen to invest in Zanzibar which offers numerous promising opportunities for investment. He said that Zanzibar produces spices that can be exported to Qatar. In return it imports many products, including oil and gas.
He pointed out that his country is also a tourist destination, and that tourism is the largest sector in its economy. He called on Qatari companies to visit and invest in the tourism sector, as his country is in need of direct foreign investments.
Regarding his expectations for the conference outcomes, he said they fall into two areas. The first is learning from one another and exchanging the best practices. Some countries have successfully implemented policies, passed legislation, and developed strategies to support families, making substantial progress. This is an opportunity for other countries that have yet to succeed in these areas to learn from these best practices and implement them.
The second area is recognizing the importance of family well-being and giving it a priority as the fundamental unit of any society.
He added that families consist of different age groups - including children, the elderly, women, and individuals with special needs. Therefore, it is important to focus on families because eventually this supports the entire community.