Qatar’s charities bring sustainability to the fore
RACA and GORD sign a cooperation agreement to promote sustainability in the sector of charitable activities.
Working towards Qatar National Vision 2030’s pursuit to create a sustainable future, Qatar’s Regulatory Authority for Charitable Activities (RACA) and the Gulf Organisation for Research & Development (GORD) have signed a cooperation agreement to launch a series of green initiatives in the sector of charitable activities.
The MoU, signed by RACA’s General Manager Ibrahim bin Abdullah Al Dhaimi and GORD’s Founding Chairman Dr. Yousef Alhorr on Tuesday, July 9, will provide a framework for the partnering entities to identify and collaborate on areas of mutual interest. These areas will encompass exchange of scientific knowledge and expertise to develop and implement sustainability standards across all foreign charitable projects overseen by RACA. The signing ceremony took place in the presence of top management, executives and scientific leaders from both parties.
As a sustainability partner, GORD will utilize its expertise within built environment to review projects submitted by charities to evaluate their performance in terms of design, construction management and operations against the established sustainability standards. GORD will also train staff members of RACA and affiliated charity organizations in skills linked with sustainable management and operations of their projects. Moreover, RACA will benefit from GORD’s guidance and resources in drafting future regulations and standards supporting sustainability.
Speaking at the event, RACA’s General Manager Ibrahim bin Abdullah Al Dhaimi said,
We are proud of our cooperation with a leading research entity such as the Gulf Organisation for Research & Development. This memorandum reflects our strong belief in the pivotal and effective role ministries and government bodies play in serving the country. We look forward to exchanging ideas and expertise to boost both parties’ performance in terms of the quality standards set forth by jurisdictions under national laws. RACA assures GORD of its support in all areas of mutual interest, including management, research, technical and scientific development.
Commenting on the joint venture, Dr. Yousef Alhorr, Founding Chairman of GORD said,
We are delighted and proud of this cooperation with the Regulatory Authority for Charitable Activities, which is a leading entity in the field of humanitarian and charitable work in Qatar and beyond. The collaboration will endorse GORD’s sustainability standards within built environment for RACA’s affiliated projects all over the world.
This strategic cooperation represents a practical reflection of Qatar National Vision 2030, which has prioritized sustainable environment among its four key pillars. Humanitarian action is not limited to financial support. In fact, it is also about creating a sustainable built environment which is essential for the health and wellbeing of people and communities.
The MoU between RACA and GORD will also entail the launch of an international award dedicated to sustainability within charitable and humanitarian foreign aid projects. Moreover, the two entities will organize joint events to foster research and development aimed at promoting sustainability in the charitable sector. To this end, there will be specialized education and training disseminated in GORD’s centers of excellence.
RACA is an independent government body licensed to oversee philanthropic and humanitarian activities undertaken by private charitable organizations in the State of Qatar. It maintains transparency, issues laws and supervises fundraising operations of various non-profit organizations. GORD’s corporate mission is to promote best practices on sustainability through development and implementation of standards and guidelines, fostering innovation and research, promoting and building capacity through education and outreach activities. Essentially, the recent MoU reflects the partnering organizations’ desire to improve projects and work related to sustainability within the charitable sector.