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Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani on Friday proposed a new international role for smaller nations he called "Thriving States," urging them to combine their diplomatic and economic strengths to promote global peace and stability.
Speaking at the Oxford Union, Sheikh Mohammed argued that countries that have transformed their relatively small size into an advantage could collectively play a greater role in addressing international conflicts.
"I would therefore like to propose a different label for a particular group of countries: agile, stable, prosperous and trusted nations that have turned their size into an advantage and became significant contributors to global peace and prosperity," he said, referring to them as "Thriving States."
"My proposition is that these Thriving States, having become critical contributors to global prosperity, are now uniquely positioned to play a similarly significant role in international peace. Not through individual initiative, rather by a collective, structured and cumulative approach."
The Qatari foreign minister warned that "smaller states are increasingly the first casualties in conflicts not of their own making," arguing that their vulnerability made greater cooperation necessary.
Sheikh Mohammed said smaller countries could contribute to international peace by combining their diplomatic networks, economic resources and experience in resolving disputes.
"Thriving States cannot resolve these challenges alone, nor replace great powers. But through pooling their expertise, economic capabilities and diplomatic networks, they can help build and maintain a supply chain of peace and stability for the world," he said.
He emphasized that smaller states should take a more active role in shaping the international environment rather than depending entirely on larger powers to guarantee their security.
"We cannot outsource our stability, nor should we surrender to inaction. History is littered with the ghosts of passive onlookers and only celebrates those who act to shape it," he added.
His proposal emphasized a coordinated and sustained approach rather than isolated diplomatic initiatives by individual countries.
Turning to Qatar's efforts to mediate an end to the conflict between the United States and Iran, Sheikh Mohammed said Doha remained engaged with both sides despite a slowdown in diplomatic activity.
He said Qatari officials had worked with members of the U.S. administration who had "very genuine intentions to find a way to contain the situation and de-escalate it."
The foreign minister said mediation efforts were continuing "to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control."
He also credited officials in Iran with helping prevent further escalation.
"Thanks also to some wise voices in Tehran, we have prevented that from getting out of control," he said.
Addressing the possible consequences of the U.S. midterm elections for Washington's approach to the conflict, Sheikh Mohammed distinguished between potential policy changes and the intentions of American officials involved in the negotiations.
"What happened with the election may affect their policies in the future, but it does not affect their intentions," he said.
He also cautioned against allowing the pursuit of an ideal agreement to prevent diplomatic progress.
"We will never have a perfect peace deal, but we cannot just wait for this moment of a perfect deal and avoid having a good deal.”
Sheikh Mohammed acknowledged that negotiations were proceeding at a slower pace than in recent days.
"It is not as active as it was a few days ago," he said.
However, he emphasized that Qatar remained committed to diplomatic engagement.
"Our engagement did not stop and will not stop," he added.
His remarks linked Qatar's continuing mediation efforts with his broader proposal for smaller nations to assume a more coordinated role in maintaining international peace and security.
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