Doha, October 31 (QNA) - The Permanent Population Committee (PPC) launched on Tuesday the population policy for the State of Qatar (2017-2022), which seeks to control the high rate of population growth and reduce the imbalance of the population structure under the theme of "Towards Effective Implementation of Qatar's Population Policy 2017-2022." The launch came during the committee's celebration of the 2017 Qatari Population Day, which was attended by a number of ministers and officials who represent various partners in implementing this policy to discuss the most effective ways to implement the new population policy program in all its aspects, especially with regard to population growth, labor force and urban growth.

The population policy of the State of Qatar for 2017-2022, which was launched after the approval of the cabinet at its ordinary meeting No. 21 of 2017, is in line with the second National Development Strategy 2017-2022, which will be launched soon, HE Minister of Development Planning and Statistics and PPC Chairman, Dr. Saleh bin Mohamed Al Nabit said.

HE Dr. Al Nabit added that the launch of the second population policy is the result of two years of efforts aimed at a comprehensive evaluation of the first population policy and reconsidering the goals, objectives and procedures of population policy, taking into account the economic and demographic developments witnessed by the State of Qatar during the past period.

Throughout the evaluation of the population policy, strengths and weaknesses were identified in the performance and implementation of the PPC to improve its performance, the minister said.

A successful implementation of the population policy work program is first concerned with the close cooperation between the committee, the ministries and bodies involved in the implementation of that policy, as well as the cooperation of ministries with each other in that regard and working with all partners in a team spirit, HE Dr. Al Nabit added.

The new population policy is shaping the demographic profile of the future of Qatar in the light of an ambitious development agenda for the political developments in the Gulf region, which emphasizes the priority of this agenda, the HE the minister of development planning and statistics clarified.

HE the minister further noted that the population policy focuses on managing rapid population growth rates, addressing its repercussions, the implications of the imbalance of the population structure, and the gradual and steady orientation towards a knowledge-based economy as affirmed by Qatar National Vision 2030 and development strategies, leading to the restructuring of the labor market towards more skilled and productive employment.

The aim of the celebration was to identify the stages of the preparation of the population policy document, the programs, plans and mechanisms established by PPC for its implementation so as to find the best and most effective way to interpret the document into a practical reality and define the responsibilities of the working groups responsible for following up on the implementation of this policy.

Asr Toson, resident representative of the United Nations Population Fund's (UNFPA) sub-regional office for GCC states, said the State of Qatar's interest in the population issue as the center of development and its tools was translated into Qatar's population policy 2017-2022.

The population policy developed in a participatory manner among all concerned government as well as semi-government and private institutions and in cooperation with UNFPA was based on a series of specialized studies and analyses by a number of experts, ministerial committees, consultations and meetings between partners.

The pillars of the new policy covered a number of important topics, including the dynamics of the population and the labor force, the orientation towards the knowledge economy, education and training, human resources development, public health, reproductive health, as well as the environment and sustainable development issues, with a focus on the provision of national data and indicators for assessment and follow-up to achieve a balance between population growth and the requirements of sustainable development, ensuring a decent life for the people of Qatar, expanding their choices and raising their levels of participation in the progress of society.

In the past two years, Qatar has played a prominent regional role in pushing population issues to the forefront of development priorities at the level of the country and the Arab region, Toson said, highlighting in this regard a number of important population activities in which Qatar played a leading role, most notably the Doha Forum on Development, Stability and Refugee Issues, its presidency of the 50th Commission on Population and Development, and hosting the international conference on the Impact of Wars and Conflicts on Arab Families, and the regional conference on the role of civil society in the Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Toson stressed that these contributions have generated knowledge and practical experience as well as a regional and international role in the area of population and development. He appreciated the partnership between (UNFPA) and Qatar in various initiatives, stressing UNFPA's interest in this strategic partnership and growing cooperation in serving the population and development agenda. (QNA)