NHRC highlights Qatar's commitment to international covenants, rights promotion

The State of Qatar expressed rejection of all forms of extremism, violence and terrorism, and provided aid and assistance for international development and cooperation based on human rights, in compliance with the draft Declaration on the Right to International Solidarity, His Excellency said.

His Excellency added that Qatar's hosting of the LDC5 and the implementation of the Doha Program of Action (DPoA) in the LDCs for the decade 2022-2031 is a clear indication of the State of Qatar's involvement in the efforts aimed at activating the 17th sustainable development goal related to building an international partnership for sustainable development, as a shared collective responsibility that varies according to the capacities between countries. This aims to achieve all other sustainable development goals, whether through official development assistance provided to the LDCs, or through relief and humanitarian assistance in cases of human crises resulting from conflicts or natural disasters.

There is a need to recall a number of Qatar's pioneering initiatives in implementing the sustainable development goals that are consistent with the LDC5, His Excellency stressed, that the State of Qatar in 2012 launched a global initiative to provide quality education for children who have difficulty accessing it, especially in poor areas and areas of nature disasters and conflicts.

His Excellency pointed out that the State of Qatar has implemented the Education in Emergencies Program, which aims to educate one million girls around the world by 2021, in addition to Silatech's contribution to addressing the unemployment crisis among young people in the world, and providing job opportunities for them, especially women and the disadvantaged, highlighting that the State of Qatar provided USD100 million to the LDCs and small and developing island states in order to meet the climate change challenges.

HE Al Kuwari added that those who follow the path of international action in the field of human rights and development clearly notice many challenges that prevent leaving many vulnerable groups and LDCs behind, amid gender inequality, in addition to the wide gaps between the rich and the poor; rural and urban areas, and between developed and developing countries, leaving millions of people in poverty, hunger, disease and ignorance.

The natural disasters and armed conflicts constitute the greatest threat to development, His Excellency said, pointing out that the phenomenon of climate change and environmental degradation impedes any progress which makes the most vulnerable groups and the poor suffer the most.

His Excellency highlighted that the international effort made significant strides in this field, but there is a necessary need from states, international governmental and non-governmental organizations, the private sector, national human rights institutions and civil society to reach a political and legal commitment that provides effective mechanisms for accountability, adequate financial resources, science and technology transfer, as well as the accurate data on the implementation of the sustainable development plan and the progress made in this regard, and not neglecting anyone until the achievement of the principle of international solidarity.

HE Director of Human Rights Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Turki Abdulla Al-Mahmoud, said that respecting, promoting and protecting human rights is one of the pillars of the State of Qatar's policy, which realizes that human rights, in addition to peace and security, they are interrelated elements that reinforce each other, and this priority is reflected in a constitutional and legislative system that consolidates the principles of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and guarantees their respect and protection for all, and is reflected in an institutional framework that includes many institutions and agencies concerned with human rights, which contribute effectively to the promotion and protection of human rights.

In a speech during a panel discussion on human rights and achieving goals of sustainable development, His Excellency said that respecting, promoting and protecting human rights is a strategic option on which the State of Qatar relies in its comprehensive reform process.

His Excellency noted that the "Qatar National Vision 2030" included important axes related to major human rights issues in the fields of education, health, the environment, labor rights, women's empowerment, and children's rights, as well as in the national development strategy, pointing out that the government of the State of Qatar considers the promotion and protection of human rights a fundamental and central pillar of its foreign policy.

His Excellency added that, according to this perspective, the State of Qatar has pursued an advanced policy to consolidate the concepts and culture of human rights by following an approach based on the rule of law, transparency, justice and human dignity, and has taken a wide range of specific, tangible and pioneering measures during the past years. with the aim of making human rights issues a mainstream trend at the national and international levels.

His Excellency indicated that the State of Qatar was keen, during its membership in the Human Rights Council, to actively participate and constructively cooperate with member states in order to enable the Council to carry out its mandate in the best way, and to achieve the noble purposes for which it was established.For his part, the Director of Legal Affairs at the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Nasser Marzouq Al Marri, said that development is no longer an issue that economists can reduce to tangible physical criteria such as gross national product, economic growth rates, spending, savings and investment, and other economic criteria, rather, it has become a complex issue with social, cultural, humanitarian and political dimensions.Al-Marri noted that sustainable human development has emerged in light of the emphasis on the importance of the social and human dimensions of development as the main dominant element, without diminishing the importance of economic growth in improving living conditions.He explained that sustainable human development and human rights are included within (human centrality), and the relationship between them is an inseparable organic relationship; Because it is not possible to achieve sustainable development without realizing and securing human rights, and vice versa.Regarding the role of the National Human Rights Committee in achieving the goals of sustainable development, Al-Marri explained that the National Human Rights Committee was established pursuant to Decree Law No. 38 of 2002 amended by Law No. 17 of 2010, as an independent national body that works to follow up on ensuring human rights in all their forms, whether they are civil, political, or economic, social and cultural rights in the State of Qatar, in accordance with the Paris Principles of 1993, which govern the work of national human rights institutions.He pointed out that the committee occupies a vital and active space in the public sphere. Being the constructive and supportive link for human rights between civil society organizations and groups of society,He stressed that the Qatar National Vision 2030 is the general framework through which strategies and implementation plans that link the present with the future can be prepared, because it depicts a vibrant and prosperous society in which social and economic justice prevails.Human Rights Officer at the UN Human Rights Training and Documentation Centre for South-West Asia and the Arab Region Ishraq bin Al Zain said that the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights made a significant contribution to the integration of human rights in the process of preparing the 2030 plan and setting the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).The SDGs with their 169 targets and 23 unique indicators seek to define the direction of global and national development policies, to provide new options and opportunities to bridge the gap between human rights and development, and to ensure that strategies and policies adopted to implement the 2030 Agenda remain inclusive and rooted in human rights, she said.She added that the 2030 Agenda is fully rooted in human rights, and is clearly rooted in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, international treaties in the field of human rights and other relevant instruments, such as the Declaration of the Right to Development, pointing out that the SDGs seek to the realization of human rights for all as stated in the 2030 Agenda.The 2030 Agenda is universally applicable to all people in all developed and developing countries, Al Zain added, stressing that it is committed to achieving a wide range of social, economic and environmental goals, by building more peaceful, just and inclusive societies, devoid of fear and violence, and particularly concerned with democratic governance, the rule of law, access to justice, and personal security.She added that the 2030 Agenda seeks to include everyone without any exception, and is keen to build a world in which respect for equality prevails, non-discrimination between and within countries, including gender equality, and reaffirming the responsibilities of all states to respect human rights, protect and promote it, without discrimination of any kind.In the same context, Technical Representative and Head of UNDP Office in Doha Biplove Choudhary praised the State of Qatar's efforts in organizing the LDC5, stressing that development is an acquired right for all.He stressed on the need to involve people in sustainable development, which is the main driver for achieving justice, pointing out that the UNDP helps governments to achieve sustainable development and present initiatives and recommendations.He pointed out that the issue of climate change had a major and significant negative impact on human rights, represented by life, health, food and clean air, warning of the seriousness of these problems, which are the most serious and prominent threat to humans.