Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, vice chairperson of Qatar Foundation, attended a United Nations high-level meeting on Tuesday. The Qatari royal spoke at a meeting for empowering women and girls through sports.

Organised by the Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the UN in Geneva, in collaboration with Qatar Foundation and Qatar Sports Investments, the high-level meeting took place on the sidelines of the 62nd UN Human Rights Council session.

Sheikha Hind Al Thani spoke at a UN high-level meeting in Geneva

Sheikha Hind has long been involved with the UN, joining in for high-level meetings supporting development, education and women over the years. She delivered a keynote speech where she spoke about how Qatar’s commitment to recognising sport as a “fundamental human right and a powerful instrument for the advancement of women and girls globally” predated Human Rights Council Resolution 59/17, which enshrined this.

“Our vision for Resolution 59/17 is to go beyond parity,” she shared. “Our hope is a transformation that allows for programmes, spaces, and more, all designed by women and informed by science that studies women.

“Girls everywhere must be able to play – full, equally, safely, and with joy – and Qatar answers this call by channeling existing partnerships and international cooperation efforts to create practical programs that expand opportunity for women and girls beyond our borders,” she added 

Sheikha Hind also met with Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of UN Geneva. They exchanged views on education, empowerment and the importance of creating opportunities for women and girls to reach their full potential.