BASIC FACTS

Qatar occupies a small peninsula on the northeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East region. Its only land border is with Saudi Arabia. Qatar has the highest per capita income in the world and it is influential in the Gulf region: its political and economic alignment with Iran has resulted in recurring conflict with its neighbors Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates. Qatar is an absolute monarchy that declared its independence in 1971.

Capital: Doha

There are no nuclear power plants or research reactors in Qatar, although the state is very vocal in recommending IAEA inspection and supervision of the nuclear programs in neighboring states, such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

TREATIES AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS

• Member of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) since 1973
• Member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) since 1976
• Acceded to 1925 Geneva Protocol in 1976
• Signed Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention in 1997
  • Ratified in 1998
• Acceded to Treaty for the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in 1989
• Signed Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) in 1972
  • Ratified in 1975
• Signed Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in 1993
  • Ratified in 1997
• Signed Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) in 1996
  • Ratified in 1997
• Acceded to convention on Certain Conventional Weapons in 2009
• Acceded to Outer Space Treaty in 2012
• Acceded to Sea-bed Treaty in 1974
• Acceded to the Convention on the Physical protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) in 2004
• Signed International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (ICSANT) (with reservation) in 2006
• Ratified (with reservation) in 2014

REGIONAL GROUPS

• Member of the G-77
• Member of the Asia-Pacific Group
• Member of the Gulf Cooperation Council
• Member of OPEC
• Member of the Arab League

RECENT REPRESENTATION IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS

• President of the 66th General Session of the UN General Assembly in 2011
• Chairperson of the G-77 in 2004
• Member of the 1540 Committee in 2006/2007
• Non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2006/2007

LINKS

The State of Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations

UN State Summary

Ratification of Treaties & Membership in International Organizations Related to Disarmament