Since taking office as foreign minister in 2016, Sheikh Mohammed has played a central role in Qatar’s diplomatic efforts to mediate conflicts in Lebanon, Sudan, Iran, Afghanistan, Chad, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ukraine and Gaza [Getty]
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani is receiving the prestigious Tipperary International Peace Award on Tuesday in Ireland, in recognition of his role in mediating conflicts and promoting peace worldwide.
The award, granted annually by the Tipperary Peace Convention since 1984, honours individuals who have made outstanding contributions to global peace.
Past recipients include former UN Secretaries-General Ban Ki-moon and Kofi Annan, former Irish President Mary Robinson, Nelson Mandela, US President Bill Clinton, and Lebanon’s late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.
Since taking office as foreign minister in 2016, Sheikh Mohammed has played a central role in Qatar’s diplomatic efforts to mediate conflicts in Lebanon, Sudan, Iran, Afghanistan, Chad, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and, more recently, Gaza and Ukraine.
His early successes include negotiating the release of Djiboutian prisoners from Eritrea in 2016 and hosting a Sudanese peace agreement in Doha in 2017. In 2020, he oversaw the landmark Doha Agreement between the US and the Taliban, which led to the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan in 2021.
In 2021, Qatar brokered a diplomatic breakthrough between Kenya and Somalia. A year later, it hosted negotiations that led to a peace accord between Chad’s transitional government and opposition groups. More recently, in August 2024, Qatar facilitated a high-profile prisoner exchange between the United States and Iran, which also saw the unfreezing of $6 billion in Iranian assets.
Sheikh Mohammed has also been at the forefront of negotiations to end the Israeli war on Gaza. Following the outbreak of war on 7 October 2023, Qatar, under his leadership, helped broker a temporary humanitarian truce in November, enabling the release of 240 Palestinian prisoners and over 100 hostages, including around 80 Israelis.
In January 2025, he announced a broader ceasefire agreement, with Israeli forces withdrawing from densely populated areas and a framework for prisoner exchanges, repatriation of displaced people, and increased humanitarian aid.
Although the truce collapsed in March, Qatari mediation continues in pursuit of a new ceasefire.
Sheikh Mohammed has also engaged in international diplomacy, including a visit to Russia during the Ukraine war, where he mediated efforts to reunite displaced Ukrainian children with their families.
Qatar also remains active in talks aimed at reviving the Iran nuclear deal and de-escalating regional tensions.
