* Council discusses draft law on combating conflict of interest
 
 
The Shura Council Monday approved draft laws on the Council's elections and rights related to FIFA, the international governing body of football, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported. This came at the Council's regular weekly meeting held via videoconferencing Monday under the chairmanship of HE the Speaker Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Zaid al-Mahmoud.
The Council was briefed on the report of the joint committee of the Internal and External Affairs Committee and the Legal and Legislative Affairs Committee on a draft law pertaining to the Shura Council's electoral system. After discussing the two reports, the Council approved the two aforementioned draft laws as received from the esteemed government, QNA said.
The Council also reviewed the report of the Legal and Legislative Affairs Committee on a draft law on the protection of trademarks, copyright and rights related to FIFA. The draft law "includes 12 articles and its provisions require the registration of FIFA trademarks, and the deposit of works and audio recordings, performances of performers and FIFA radio programmes, with the Intellectual Property Protection Department at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and specify the procedures to be taken regarding the registration", the QNA report states.
Meanwhile, the Shura Council yesterday discussed a draft law on combating conflict of interest. The draft law includes five chapters and 29 articles. According to its provisions, the employee must arrange his/her personal affairs and interests in a manner that prevents any conflict with the public interest or with the duties or responsibilities of his/her position or job. The draft law specifies cases of conflict of interest and mechanisms for combating conflict of interest, as well as penalties for anyone who violates its provisions.
After discussion, the Shura Council decided to refer the aforementioned draft law to the Legal and Legislative Affairs Committee for study and to submit a report thereon to the Council. HE the Speaker of the Shura Council briefed the Council on the ongoing preparations for the opening of United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) Programme Office, which is concerned with parliamentary engagement in preventing and combating terrorism, which will be inaugurated on Wednesday in Doha with the participation of a number of senior parliamentarians in the world and senior officials of the United Nations.

Legal committee holds meeting
The Shura Council's Legal and Legislative Affairs Committee held a meeting yesterday, chaired by its Rapporteur HE Nasser bin Rashid bin Sarea al-Kaabi, Qatar News Agency reported. During the meeting, the committee studied a draft law on combating conflict of interest and decided to complete the study at its next meeting.
 
 
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