What did Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani say at the UN General Assembly (UNGA 81)?

He addressed the general debate on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, as the sixth speaker of the morning session.

The speech in brief

• The Gulf crisis. He said one party had dragged its neighbors into a war that is not theirs, striking their vital installations, and that the way out is diplomacy: reopen the Strait of Hormuz and go back to negotiations.
• A security system for the region. At the heart of the danger, he said, is the absence of a regional system of collective security.
• Gaza and the West Bank. He called Gaza genocide, said Israeli leaders now openly talk of displacing its people, and condemned settler violence in the West Bank.
• Syria and Lebanon. He condemned Israel’s occupation of Syrian territory and the destruction of villages in southern Lebanon.
• Mediation. He described Qatar’s role as a mediator, from Gaza to Sudan.

In his own words

He spoke in Arabic. The quotes are from the Qatar News Agency’s English translation.

What has happened in Gaza is genocide in every sense of the word, and a stain of shame on the conscience of humanity as a whole.

“The crisis we are currently facing should come as no surprise to anyone. It is the cumulative result of years of postponement, crisis management through temporary solutions, and unrealistic policies.”

“There can be no talk of a just international order so long as Palestine remains a blind spot within it.”

“Either the law applies equally to all, or it loses its meaning when it binds the vulnerable but spares the powerful.”

“Peaceful coexistence and dialogue are not merely one option among many; they are the only path that leaves neither a victor nor a vanquished.”

Watch and read the full speech

Video of the address:

The UN posts the statement on its general debate website.

Every Day 1 speaker, in order: What happened on Day 1 of UNGA 81.