HE Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah met with HE Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ilze Brands Kehris and Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Achim Steiner.
During both meetings, HE Chairperson of the NHRC that the Committee’s raison d’etre is to protect and promote the human rights of all persons subject to the legal jurisdiction of the State of Qatar, be it Qatari citizens, residents, and transit travellers. For that reason, NHRC’s mission is to raise awareness, educate, and provide the necessary support and protection to individuals, in addition to build and train national capabilities in the field of human rights.
Al Attiyah said that NHRC’s priorities are set according to the kind of issues and petitions it receives, therefore, it is primarily concerned with the labor rights, women rights, and the rights of people with disabilities. She added that the Committee offers several programs and activities to r
aise awareness of the relevant legal framework granting the rights of these groups. Moreover, Al Attiyah said that NHRC is also interested in setting and updating school curricula to introduce the culture of human rights, with the Committee providing educational materials to the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, to be cited and integration in education.
HE Chairperson of the NHRC also discussed the role of NHRC in providing recommendations for legislations and procedures in accordance with international human rights standards, in addition to receiving complaints and resolving them in cooperation with the competent authorities.
Al Attiyah indicated that NHRC cooperates with the United Nations and its affiliated agencies, especially the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms (mandate holders in charge of special procedures), and human rights bodies established under treaties, noting that NHRC participates and contributes in human rights mechanisms, and follows up on the recommendations of the Inter
national human rights system at the national level.
During her meeting with HE Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Ilze Brands Kehris, Al Attiyah expressed her appreciation for the great role that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) plays and its important partnership with the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) chaired by Al Attiyah, in supporting, strengthening, and maintaining the independence of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) around the world.
HE Chairperson of the NHRC explained that the Committee could cooperate with the United Nations Human Rights Office to design and implement capacity-building programs for Qatar-based individuals, organizations, and institutions on human rights, which could include workshops, seminars, knowledge exchange initiatives. Additionally, the two sides could also develop and implement human rights education and training programs, both in Qatar and internationally, in addition to conducting joint resea
rch projects and data exchange.
Al Attiyah expressed the potential of cooperating in exploring the interrelationship between climate change and human rights, making joint calls for developing climate policies that take into account its effects on human rights, in addition to enhancing cooperation on dealing with international human rights bodies, such as the United Nations Human Rights Council, with the aim of raising awareness of key human rights issues and enhancing compliance with international human rights standards, along with launching initiatives to promote the rights of persons with disabilities regarding accessibility and inclusion measures, as well as establishing partnerships to promote corporate social responsibility; ensuring Qatar-based companies’ abidance by Human rights, labor rights, and environmental standards.
During her meeting with Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme Achim Steiner, Al Attiyah said that the United Nations system, the UNDP, the OHCHR, and their repre
sentatives in international forums have always played an important role in supporting the mandate of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions in establishing, strengthening, and protecting NHRIs, ensuring their independence and effectiveness in all areas.
HE Chairperson of the NHRC added that NHRC is looking forward to continue to work with UNDP, world countries, and partners to achieve this goal.
Her Excellency called for establishing an effective partnership between NHRC and UNDP for them to cooperate on sustainable development initiatives and environmental protection as their main foci, adding that the two sides could explore cooperation projects on climate change mitigation, renewable energy adoption, sustainable management of natural resources, human rights education and training both locally and globally, as well as conducting research and data collection on various human rights issues in Qatar.
Consequently, she noted this data could then be used to guide policy, monitor progress, a
nd identify areas that require special attention.
Source: Qatar News Agency