Qatar policies, strategies aimed at promoting human rights

The Human Rights Committee in Geneva reviewed the initial report of Qatar submitted under Article 40 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.Qatar took part in the review session with a delegation chaired by HE the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Ahmed bin Hassan al-Hammadi, and representatives of the concerned government institutions in the State.In an introductory statement to the committee, he said that Qatar’s report, in which a number of relevant national government agencies participated, was prepared in exceptional circumstances represented in the challenges that have faced the entire world due to the Covid-19 pandemic; indicating that the State was keen to present it on time, and was keen to attend the discussion before the committee, acknowledging the importance of the work it has been undertaking in supporting the efforts of the member states to fulfil their obligations contained in this Covenant.He noted that Qatar has achieved an advanced classification of 100% for the countries that submit their reports to international mechanisms, according to the statistical indicators issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.He explained that Qatar, since its accession to the Covenant in 2018, has seen large-scale developments at the legislative and institutional levels and at the level of policies and strategies aimed at strengthening and promoting the human rights infrastructure.HE Dr al-Hammadi touched on the most prominent developments in this regard, noting that Qatar has adopted a series of pioneering legislative and institutional reforms in the region with the aim of promoting protection of the rights of expatriate workers.These reforms led to the abolition of the sponsorship system, the improvement of working and decent living conditions for all workers, and the creation of a safe and balanced work environment, in line with the international labour standards.He added that Qatar’s efforts in this regard are still ongoing, and that the National Human Rights Action Plan will be launched soon.He referred to the amendment of the decision to establish the National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking by Cabinet Resolution No 4 of 2021, which gave powers and presence to law enforcement agencies competent to combat human trafficking in police, prosecution and judiciary stations.He noted that a department has been designated to combat human trafficking in the Ministry of Interior within the jurisdiction of criminal investigation, to strengthen the system for protecting victims of human trafficking and assist them by providing suitable shelters.With regard to promoting and protecting women’s rights, HE Dr al-Hammadi said that Qatar has adopted a number of measures, including the provision of free legal assistance, psychological rehabilitation, and shelter for women victims of violence; the provision of social assistance and salaries for divorced and widowed women; and the establishment of the National Committee for the Affairs of Woman, Children, the Elderly and People with Disabilities, in accordance with Cabinet Resolution No 26 of 2019.Moreover, a number of important laws were issued in 2018, including Law No 10 on permanent residence, Law No 11 regulating political asylum, Law No 13 cancelling exit permits for expatriate workers, and Law No 16 regulating non-Qatari ownership and use of real estate, and Law No 17 regarding the establishment of a fund to support and secure expatriate workers, he said.He added that a national campaign on the right to education was organised from October 2018 to April 2019, within the framework of Unesco’s global campaign to promote and protect the right to education.He also noted the organisation of the first elections for the Shura Council in Qatar on October 2, 2021, with a participation of 63.5%, considering that the organisation of these elections came within the framework of the ambitious policy pursued by the State to develop its legislative mechanisms by expanding the scope of popular participation in a way that reflects the values of the Qatari constitution and Qatar National Vision 2030.He added that the Amiri Decree No 4 of 2021 stipulated the establishment of a number of new ministries, such as an independent Ministry of Social Development and Family to be specialised in supporting the family and social development and raising community awareness of the importance of family protection and family cohesion; an independent Ministry of Labour to support worker care and protect their rights; a new Ministry of Environment and Climate Change with the aim of consolidating the right to a clean environment by protecting the environment and reducing emissions that cause climate change.On the other hand, HE the Secretary-General underlined that Qatar was keen, despite the exceptional circumstances resulted by the spread of the (Covid-19) pandemic, to adopt procedures and policies that ensure the continued enjoyment of the rights contained in the Covenant, and placed human rights at the heart of the measures it has taken to reduce the impact of this pandemic.Since the beginning of the pandemic, Qatar has been keen on providing all medical care services to all individuals residing on its land without discrimination except for age or health conditions, in order to ensure that everyone enjoys the right to health and preserve their right to life.All necessary efforts were also made to ensure the continuation of the distance learning process, including the provision of electronic and communication devices to students to ensure their continued access to education.HE Dr al-Hammadi added that Qatar has also worked to guarantee the right to litigation as a constitutional right. Since the beginning of the spread of the (Covid-19) pandemic, it has ensured this right by developing the infrastructure and electronic systems that allowed remote court litigation.He noted that Qatar, thanks to its unremitting efforts to improve the human rights situation, the steady implementation of its National Development Vision 2030, and its comprehensive sectoral strategies, has taken important steps in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, and has maintained, during the reporting period, its advanced leadership position in a number of international indicators in vital and important areas such as quality education, security and safety, global peace, and low crime levels.In addition, the State has recorded the highest level of women’s participation in the labour force in the region.He added that the submission of Qatar’s report comes at a time when the country is preparing to host the most prominent global sporting event — the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022; stressing that the State has ensured the highest standards of security and safety for workers in infrastructure projects and the construction of stadiums and projects related to this global event.He explained that Qatar, through the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, ensures the application and protection of basic human rights principles for all those working in these projects, and views hosting this major event as a valuable opportunity to promote the values of equality, solidarity and mutual respect.HE Dr al-Hammadi emphasised that Qatar considers the process of reviewing the reports by contractual committees a valuable opportunity for proper assessment and analysis of the State’s conditions in order to continuously improve its internal practices in the field of human rights; noting that Qatar has made appreciable efforts after considering its previous reports were before other committees to address most of the issues on which observations and recommendations were made, which led to a number of actual benefits for the development of human rights in the country.He summarised some of these positive outcomes represented in raising awareness among State employees of human rights principles and standards, contributing to establishing and strengthening national institutions working in the field of human rights, as well as increasing the pace of ongoing legislative reforms and reviewing human rights policies.At the conclusion of the first review of Qatar’s report, HE the Secretary-General indicated that the review was professional and objective and dealt with many important aspects related to the exchange of views on how to implement the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, stressing the keenness of Qatar’s delegation to clarify the measures adopted by the State in this regard, and to listen to the views of the committee’s experts on issues of interest.He also assured the committee that Qatar will take into account the concluding observations and recommendations of the review process, and that these observations will be the focus of attention of the competent authorities when formulating national policies and strategies in all fields, especially since the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is considered a comprehensive document of a wide range of rights and freedoms, and deals with many important aspects in the system of human rights principles and standards.HE Dr al-Hammadi urged the experts of the committee to make use of the knowledge they acquire by learning about the experiences of countries and the differences in their legal systems; and to reflect that in their efforts to formulate the general comments that guide member states in understanding and interpreting the provisions of the Covenant, thus confirming that the principle of the universality of human rights lies in the possibility of promoting and protecting human rights through the application of many positive models.