Leo Daily Horoscope Today, December 27, 2024 predicts prosperity at your sideInter beats Como and closes gap at the top of Serie A while Bove back on Fiorentina sidelineHoops star Nurse joins Athletes Unlimited aiming to rebound from ‘rocky’ two years
Qatar took part in the 20th Korea-Middle East Co-operation Forum, hosted in Seoul, South Korea, under the theme ‘Korea and the Middle East: Past, Present and Future Trajectories’. Qatar was represented at the forum by HE the Minister of State for International Co-operation Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser al-Misnad. HE the Director of Diplomatic Institute at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Abdulaziz bin Mohammed al-Horr, also participated. In her speech, HE al-Misnad said that the forum is being held at a critical moment marked by increasing global challenges and rapid shifts in regional and international dynamics, pointing out that the Middle East, in particular, continues to bear acute humanitarian and political crises, including those in Palestine, Lebanon, and Sudan. She emphasised that these crises transcend borders, impacting both regional and global stability, while underscoring the urgent need to enhance dialogue, co-operation, and decisive action, and strengthen security, stability, and sustainable development for the benefit of all. HE al-Misnad expressed Qatar’s appreciation for the forum as a vital bridge built over two decades of meaningful dialogue and co-operation between the Middle East and Korea, with a focus on co-operation and fostering partnerships in diplomatic, trade, economic, and cultural fields. She also noted that the forum has become a key platform for strengthening relations, praising the preliminary signing of the free trade agreement (FTA) between Korea and the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC). She described it as a major turning point toward deeper economic integration and mutual growth between the two regions. This partnership can support innovation and investment in sustainability, and promote peace and prosperity for both regions and the world, she added. HE al-Misnad reaffirmed Qatar’s foreign policy, which is based on solid principles of international law and co-operation. She reiterated Qatar’s commitment to the principles of mediation, dialogue for peaceful solutions, sustainable development, and the promotion of minority rights. She said that Qatar’s humanitarian efforts are extensive, providing vital assistance in conflict zones and addressing long-term vulnerabilities in areas affected by complex emergencies. She also expressed belief that global challenges require collective solutions, stressing that Qatar is always ready to contribute to this shared mission. HE al-Misnad called for making the forum a model of the strength of dialogue and co-operation, emphasising the potential to turn challenges into opportunities and build a future characterised by resilience, inclusivity, and shared success. First Launched in 2003, the Korea-Middle East Co-operation Forum is a platform that brings together prominent figures from the public and private sectors to enhance both sides’ relations across various fields. The forum has been held annually in Korea and the Middle East countries alternately. This year, the forum is discussing key topics through three main sessions entitled ‘Harnessing Korea-Middle East Co-operation During Time of Uncertainty’, ‘Emerging Technologies: New Areas of Co-operation between Korea and the Middle East’, and ‘Korea and The Middle East: Towards Deeper Educational, Cultural, and People to People Links’. Related Story Qatar-Korea Business Forum puts spotlight on building robust ties
Here's who Donald Trump could pick for attorney after Matt Gaetz's flame-outIsland resident becomes first Canadian student to fly an electric plane solo
Snap Inc. stock remains steady Tuesday, underperforms marketPresident Claudia Sheinbaum and Mexico’s 32 governors signed a National Human Right to Water Agreement on Monday, a pact that aims to ensure equal access to water for Mexico’s public while also increasing agricultural and industrial efficiency and sustainability. The private sector joined as a voluntary participant, committing to cede contractual rights to at least 126 million cubic meters of water and promising to invest 21 billion pesos (more than US $1 billion) in infrastructure and technology improvements. Federal water districts and irrigation sectors have also agreed to cede control over 2.8 billion cubic meters of water. During the signing ceremony, Efraín Morales, director of Mexico’s National Water Commission (Conagua), said the accord seeks to “move past the mercantilist vision of water and recognize it as a human right and a strategic asset.” President Sheinbaum and other speakers at the event emphasized the need to recognize the intrinsic link between social equality, economic growth and the environment. “We must no longer view water as a commodity. It is a right,” Sheinbaum said, according to Radio Fórmula . “Every Mexican should have access to adequate water ... We must guarantee sufficient water for food production, for social and industrial development ... and institute a plan that provides sustainability and equitable development for the long term.” The agreement is derived from the government’s National Water Plan 2024–2030 — presented by Sheinbaum at her press conference last Thursday, a federal initiative to reassess hundreds of thousands of Mexico’s water concessions, clean up some of Mexico’s most polluted rivers, improve agricultural irrigation technology available to the nation’s farmers, and build water infrastructure projects – including a desalination plant in Baja California and flood mitigation projects in Mexico’s flood-prone southeast. The historic accord signed Monday by Mexico’s governors recognizes access to water as a human right, declares water a national asset and outlines benchmarks for sustainability, as well as reclamation and purification. “This agreement is just the beginning of a permanent effort to ensure Mexico has a sustainable and equitable future with regard to water,” Morales said, according to the magazine Fortuna. The pact includes plans to reinforce the nation’s hydraulic infrastructure, sets standards for water treatment plants, conserves and protects wetlands, establishes river cleanup projects and promotes reforestation and forest conservation endeavors. Last year, Conagua’s Drought Monitor indicated that more than 80% of Mexico’s territory is facing a water crisis, one that, according to the newspaper La Jornada, affects more than 35 million people. Last year, Mexico City’s water supplies were so low that the global press was talking about a “Day Zero” when the metropolis would run out of water . The drought is threatening 104 of the nation’s 757 drainage basins. In addition, of Mexico’s 653 aquifers, 114 are overexploited, according to Conagua. Plus, two-thirds of sites that Conagua monitors were classified as contaminated or heavily contaminated last year. “It is past time that we manage water more efficiently, that we incentivize treatment and re-use,” Environment Minister Alicia Bárcena told La Jornada. “The willingness to participate voluntarily is a great sign, and it should result in more productive agricultural and industrial sectors while also ensuring a more equitable distribution.” In addition to the give-back from the private sector, Sheinbaum said water contracts for industrial use would also be restricted and even restructured, the news outlet Infobae reported. Going forward, concessions would strictly prohibit alternate uses of water that do not benefit the public. With reports from Fortuna , Radio Fórmula , Infobae and La Jornada
