This came in a speech delivered yesterday by ambassador Ali Khalfan al-Mansouri, the Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations in Geneva and other international organisations, during general debate on item 9 of the agenda of the UN Human Rights Council.
Ambassador al-Mansouri said that the conscience of the human being was shocked by the “cowardly terrorist attack” recently in New Zealand that claimed the lives of a number of innocent Muslims worshippers.
He reiterated Qatar’s condemnation of the attack and extended condolences to the victims’ families, the New Zealand government and people, wishing the injured a speedy recovery, and stressed that such “barbaric behaviour” must not be tolerated or allowed to take place in the world.
The ambassador added that Qatar believes that diversity enriches the lives of all people, and that migrants have a great positive contribution to make, especially in terms of development in the communities to which they migrate.
He pointed out that addressing migration issues and the presence of foreigners must be conducted in a fair, comprehensive and balanced manner that takes into account social and economic aspects, the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms of these persons, which may be affected by discriminatory and racist policies, legislation, extremist ideas and hate speech that generate ethnic and religious hostilities.
The ambassador underlined Qatar’s role in promoting values of equality, tolerance, justice, as well as rejecting intolerance, discrimination and racism, adding that the country has hosted many international conferences and forums that promote these value, including the Interfaith Dialogue Conference, which is held annually in Doha as an intellectual platform that promotes understanding and dialogue among the followers of different religions.
He said that Qatar also supports important international initiatives aimed at protecting the youth from extremist ideas such as Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF).
In a separate context, the ambassador stressed that Qatar and its citizens continue to suffer from the “coercive and racist measures” taken against them by blockading countries since June 2017.
The continuing violations of human rights resulting from these measures, especially on families, women, children and students, must be a top priority for the Human Rights Council and its relevant mechanisms, particularly the special procedures, and the Office of the High Commissioner to hold those responsible accountable and compensate those affected, the ambassador added.
