Documenting cases of persons with disabilities who are separated from their families and others who were expelled from Saudi hospitals

Geneva: 25 June 2018

The chairman of the NHRC, Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al-Marri, said that the violations caused by the Gulf crisis have not exempted people with disabilities. Many of them are separated from their families and others have been expelled from hospitals in some countries such as Saudi Arabia. Dr. Al Marri handed over to Ms. Catalina Devandas, Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, the statistics of violations against persons with disabilities and demanded the inclusion of these statistics in a report to be summited to the Human Rights Council.

During the meeting in Geneva, Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al-Marri stated that the NHRC monitored the conditions, he described as tragic, affecting the persons with disabilities, especially those violations that affected a large proportion of the population of mixed Gulf families. The NHRC has also documented and reported cases of this group, who have been expelled from the hospitals at some of the blockading countries including Saudi Arabia. Al-Marri briefed that the NHRC has lodged complaints with the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and some international mechanisms, as well as providing further updates on the statistics of violations monitored by the National Human Rights Committee. Al-Marri called for action based on the information provided to the committee regarding the violations committed by the countries of the blockade against the rights of persons with disabilities and demanded sending urgent appeals and letters to the concerned countries to clarify these cases and compensate the victims financially and morally due to unprecedented measures that are imposed by these countries, and also demanded conducting field visits to these countries to discuss the situation of the protection of the human rights of persons with disabilities and to prepare a report to be submitted to the Human Rights Council including foundations, conclusions and recommendations reached by all international organizations and missions that have stood against the violations of various types.

The Qatari people no longer accept verbal condemnations without undertaking strong action that contribute to stopping their suffering

The victims of the blockade demand practical and deterrent decisions that triumph over human rights before political interests

EU countries have procedures and mechanisms to put pressure on the countries of the blockade

EU institutions are called upon to uphold the human rights principles on which they are based

Human rights issues should be a priority in EU relations with the blockading states

We call on the representative of the European Union for Human Rights to visit the State of Qatar and the blockading countries

Brussels: 23 June 2018

The chairman of the National Human Rights Committee of the State of Qatar, Dr. Ali bin Samih Al-Marri, called on the European Union to take strong measures and to adopt firm positions to condemn the violations and suffering of thousands of Gulf families due to the blockade imposed on Qatar, which have affected thousands of families in Qatar and the Gulf States for more than a year.

During his meeting in Brussels with the European Union Special Representative for Human Rights, Mr. Stavros Lambrinidis, Dr. Ali presented a copy of the fifth report prepared by the National Human Rights Committee, one year after the blockade of Qatar. Al-Marri demanded the European Union to visit the State of Qatar and the rest of the parties to the crisis in order to address the humanitarian violations resulting from the blockade on Qatar, pointing out that the visit of the representative of the European Union to find out the repercussions of the blockade and its effects on the peoples of the Gulf region will play a key role and is a significant contribution to resolve the humanitarian crisis.

Al Marri stressed that more than a year after the blockade imposed on Qatar, citizens and residents of Qatar no longer accept the political positions of some countries, and verbal condemnation of the violations of the blockade, without taking any practical and deterrent decisions that would triumph for human rights before political interests between countries.

Dr. Ali called on the European Union countries to give priority to human rights in their relations with the countries of the blockade, calling on them to triumph over the noble humanitarian principles on which the European Union was founded, primarily the defense of human rights issues in various regions of the world.

Al-Marri called on European Union representative to inform the EU representatives that the victims of the blockade are citizens and residents of Qatar and the countries of the blockade are waiting for more effective and strong positions to stop the violations, stressing the need to move from the stage of verbal condemnation to decisions and procedures that give priority to rights in the relations of the European Union countries with the countries of the blockade, in order to affirm the credibility enjoyed by the European Union and its institutions among the peoples of the world.

Al-Marri said that the EU countries have the procedures and mechanisms to exert pressure on the countries of the blockade to stop the violations, in line with the principles on which the EU institutions were founded. During his meeting with Chiara Adamu, Head of the Gender Equality, Human Rights and Democratic Governance Unit of the European Union’s Department of International Cooperation and Development, Dr. Ali highlighted the disastrous humanitarian impact on children in particular due to the blockade imposed on Qatar, pointing out that thousands of Qatari, Emirati, Saudi and Bahraini children were deprived of their parents and were prevented from traveling with their parents due to holding the Qatari citizenship, stressing that the children were subjected to a human crime that cannot be tolerated. He stressed that the silence of countries and governments on the continuation of the blockade imposed on Qatar for more than a year, is no longer acceptable. Al-Marri asked the EU countries to show the same rigor as those dealing with labor rights issues in the Gulf region , In dealing with human rights violations resulting from the Gulf crisis. Dr. Ali discussed with Ms. Chiara ways of partnership between both sides. It is expected that the two sides will sign a partnership agreement, in light of its ongoing work with national human rights institutions.

We call on the State of Qatar to resort to the Security Council to determine the responsibility of the countries of the blockade on their actions which amount to the crime of aggression

We welcome the complaint made by the State of Qatar to the Committee against Racial Discrimination and the International Court of Justice

The decision of the International Court of Justice is binding on the UAE and the Security Council may intervene to implement it

We call on the International Court of Justice to issue an advisory opinion concerning the wrongful acts and measures of the blockading States

Qatar has to contract with an international psychosocial center to assess the extent of psychological damage to victims of embargo violations

We call on the Qatari government to sue Saudi Arabia for religious worship and violation of the right to perform religious rituals

The High Commissioner has been a source of inspiration to all human rights advocates despite the pressures and challenges he faced during his tenure

Geneva, 22 June 2018

Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al-Marri, Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee, called on the United Nations Human Rights Council to suspend the membership of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in the Council due to gross and systematic violations committed against the Qatari people. While calling on the Qatari government to resort to the Security Council to determine the responsibility of the countries of the blockade on the illegal measures and wrongful acts committed by the countries of the blockade against Qatar, which amount to the crime of aggression and economic war and collective punishment against the people of Qatar. Al-Marri said at a press conference held at the United Nations in Geneva: We call for the suspension of membership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in the Human Rights Council in accordance with Article 8 of UN General Assembly Resolution No. 60/251 of 15 March 2006 on the establishment of the Human Rights Council. Al Marri called on The Human Rights Council to issue a resolution against human rights violations resulting from the blockade and taking into account the calls and reports issued by the Special Rapporteurs and the report of the technical mission of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Al-Marri called on the council to request further action of the special rapporteurs and to visit the State of Qatar and the countries of the blockade to identify violations, meet with the victims and report on the violations to the Human Rights Council. Al Marri also invited the Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights to assume his responsibilities in accordance with the functions entrusted to him by the Council to conduct a comprehensive review of the impact of unilateral arbitrary measures on the human rights and humanitarian situation of citizens and residents of the State of Qatar, in accordance with Articles 16 and 18 of UN the General Assembly at its 73rd session adopted on 29 August 2017. Al Marri called on the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers to work to enable victims to the right to litigation and recourse to the courts on the States of the blockade to restore their rights. While Dr. Ali bin Samikh called on the High Commissioner for Human Rights to take urgent action to address the violations and the foundations of the report of the UN technical mission, which visited Qatar in December 2017.

Al Marri also welcomed Qatar’s complaint before the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) and the complaint before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to determine the UAE’s international responsibility and compensation for victims in accordance with article 22 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The Qatari government also called for intensive diplomatic action to seek a resolution from the UN General Assembly requesting an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the illegality of arbitrary unilateral measures taken by the countries of the blockade. Al-Marri stressed the importance of prosecuting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia by the State of Qatar and those affected by the politicization of religious rituals, violation of the right to worship and prevention of pilgrims from the State of Qatar to exercise their right; pointing out that the NHRC will provide all means of legal support for this purpose to address the psychological damage to individuals and material losses to the offices of Hajj and Umrah campaigns.

Dr. Al-Marri during the press conference discussed the repercussions of the violations after a year of the blockade of Qatar; pointing out that the National Human Rights Committee issued its annual report after a year of the blockade and confirmed the continuity of the violations so far and that the victims still suffer in silence despite all the statements issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the calls and urgent appeals issued by 7 special rapporteurs including the special rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, xenophobia and related intolerance, the Special Rapporteur on the right to education, the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants and the Special Rapporteur on The right to freedom of opinion and expression, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism.

The chairman of the National Human Rights Committee said: Despite the report of the technical mission of the High Commissioner visited Qatar, as well as the European Parliament’s decision and reports and statements of condemnation from international organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Reporters Without Borders and the International Federation, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are still intransigent and ignore these calls. Al Marri pointed out that during the year of the blockade, the NHRC monitored 4105 complaints, which included 12 kinds of violations, namely: the right to movement, the right to reside, the right to family reunification, the right to health and the right to work, the right to practice religious rites, Property, the right to litigation, the right to freedom of expression, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, the right to be free from hate speech and incitement; “These violations continue to be a major challenge for the international community and it is time to move from condemnation to legal action to hold those countries accountable for their crimes,” he said. It is unreasonable for members of the Human Rights Council, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, to besiege an entire people and inflict collective punishment in full view of the Human Rights Council and the international community. Al-Marri added: “As human rights organizations and human rights advocates, we cannot be silent and let these countries violate their obligations and tamper with international conventions and charters of human rights. This is a flagrant violation not only against the State of Qatar but also international law and the principles of the United Nations”. Al Marri pointed out that since the beginning of the blockade, these countries have built their strategy to deny violations and to question all international statements and reports, this even reached to the limit of the accusation of the High Commissioner and the long-standing organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch as belonging and funded by the State of Qatar; and unfortunately these countries are members of the Human Rights Council. Al Marri also said that the countries of the blockade have tried during the blockade crisis and after the failure of the policy of denial and treachery, which was followed by other tricks that inspired the international community to establish national mechanisms for committees and hotlines to deal with emergency humanitarian situations with mechanisms that lack credibility and seriousness in finding a solution to the violations resulting from the blockade.

The Chairman of the NHRC stated that one of the most important conclusions of the report of the National Committee was that the unilateral measures taken by the blockading States caused a wide range of violations of human rights including civil, political, economic, social and cultural, and that the actions taken by States amount to the crime of aggression. It also punishes citizens and residents of the State of Qatar and the citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and has been used as a tool for political pressure and a means of managing political disputes, amounting to collective punishment of individuals. These measures are illegal and discriminatory, amounting to the crime of racism and its purpose in the economic, commercial and investment fields is targeting and striking the infrastructure of Qatar’s national economy and damaging the economic rights of individuals and communities in a critical precedent that amounts to the crime of aggression and economic war.

Al-Marri said: “The findings of the annual report of the blockading violations on Qatar confirmed that there is no response from the countries of the blockade to address and stop the escalating violations and that the continuation of the tragedy of the dispersed families will greatly disrupt the social fabric of the Gulf and exacerbate the suffering of women and children in violation of The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.” Al Marri added that our presence in this international forum is to convey the suffering of children, women, people with disabilities and workers affected by the blockade and to address the free world for more pressure on these countries. In response to a question about the nature of the complaint submitted by the State of Qatar to the International Court of Justice, Al-Marri said: “The decisions of the International Court of Justice are mandatory and the Security Council may intervene to implement them.”

Regarding the complaint, Al-Marri explained that the first stage for the court is to demand that the UAE stop the violations as a precautionary or preventive measure especially for serious cases. The next stage is to look into the issue of the complaint and to decide on it and to approve the compensation. The court may agree on the amount of compensation. He said: I repeat here that the action taken by Qatar against the UAE before the International Court of Justice was done in accordance with Article 22 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination which was not reserved by the UAE unlike other countries of the blockade. The Charter of the United Nations also gives the right to complain Before the International Court of Justice, but with the consent of other States. Al-Marri said: “We are now exploring and studying all other international procedures and agreements to try and hold accountable the countries of the blockade. The International Court of Justice has a second competence to provide advisory opinions, which are not binding, but constitute an important and reliable rule of law in initiate complaints and issuing international resolutions. The General Assembly, the Security Council and specialized international agencies determined by the Court may request an advisory opinion from International Court of Justice. Al Marri called on the Government of Qatar to intensify diplomatic efforts to issue a resolution of the General Assembly requesting an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the illegality of unilateral measures taken by the blockading states. At the end of the press conference, Al Marri extended his thanks to the High Commissioner for Human Rights for all his efforts to solve the humanitarian crisis caused by the blockade crisis and its efforts in addressing cases of violations in the world.

International organizations are required to make considerable moves far more than just condemnation and denunciation

The State of Qatar’s move to prosecute the UAE is important and practical in order to expedite the lifting of the injustice and redress for the victims of the blockade

Saudi authorities continue to violate the right to religious practice

Dispersal of families is a new violation added to the record of racist acts in the history of mankind

International organizations are required to perform greater roles with the force of law to put pressure on the blockading countries to fulfil their international obligations

The position of Prince Zeid bin Raad have been characterized by neutrality and movement for human rights in the Gulf crisis

Geneva: 18-19 June 2018

Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al-Marri, Chairman of the National Human rights Committee, called on the United Nations, international organizations and parliaments to expediting holding the countries of the blockade accountable for the humanitarian violations and called for accelerating the process of redress for the victims of the blockade on Qatar. The State of Qatar is taking legal action against the United Arab Emirates before the Court of Justice for its continuing violations of human rights against the State of Qatar and its citizens. The International Court of Justice calls on the UAE to fulfil its obligations under international laws and take immediate action to protect Qataris from any future damage that cannot be repaired.

This was followed by a series of meetings held yesterday with Prince Zeid Ra’ad Ra’ad, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. Beatrice Chamorro, President of the Special Procedures, Mr. Valentin Zell Weiger, Swiss Ambassador to the United Nations, and Mr. Karl Haligard, Head of the European Union Delegation to the United Nations. While Dr. Al-Marri expressed his thanks to Prince Zeid bin Raad, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, for his great efforts during his term of office which is due to end next August, praising the great role he played to promote and protect human rights in the world and the Arab region; pointing out that the High Commissioner faced many difficulties in complete independence and credibility.

Al Marri handed over to The High Commissioner for Human Rights the report of the National Human Rights Committee, documenting general violations of the blockade, including the denial of thousands of citizens and residents of the State of Qatar to perform the age of the month of Ramadan and stopped electronic registration for those wishing to perform Hajj for the season.

Ali bin Smaikh called for the need for urgent intervention by the international community to resolve the Gulf crisis, which with no doubt affect human rights. He said that we renew our call for the importance of neutralize the rights of communities and individuals from political disputes, pointing out that international organizations are required to play greater roles and deal with the force of law to put pressure on the blockading countries to fulfil their international obligations. there should be more steps than just condemning those practices that all the missions of international organizations and parliaments that visited the State of Qatar during a year of blocked have unanimously stood out as arbitrary unilateral actions and gross violations of human rights.

(Text of the Statement)

The National Human Rights Committee of the State of Qatar reviewed the media reports on the announcement by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah welcoming Qataris and residents of Qatar to perform Umrah rituals.

The National Human Rights Committee considers that this announcement does not break any new ground and that the Saudi authorities are still practicing evasion to mislead the Gulf and international public opinion regarding the right of Qataris and residents in Qatar to perform religious rites, by issuing statements that attempt to improve its image and help appear as collaborators despite the fact that these announcements don’t have any perceptible effect on the ground.

This clearly affirmed the continuation of the politicization of religious rites in violation of Article (18) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article (18) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article (30) of the Arab Charter on Human Rights, and article (6) of the human Rights Declaration for the Member States of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). This recent announcement by the Saudi authorities is considered as a new maneuver after growing the voices of those condemning the committed violations.

The National Human Rights Committee recalls the complaints submitted by some of those who tried to visit Mecca to perform Umrah rituals during the year, where they were questioned, treated in humiliating ways, and returned to wherever they came from, and renews its previous demands to enable citizens and residents in the State of Qatar to perform their religious rites, especially that there is only two months left till the season of Hajj, including the following:

– The need for coordination between the Saudi authorities and the Ministry of endowment and Islamic Affairs of Qatar to reach to clear and specific mechanisms to facilitate Hajj and Umrah procedures for Qataris and residents in Qatar.
– Opening the electronic registration portal for pilgrims from the State of Qatar, and granting them visas through the Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman in Doha.
– Opening the land border crossing between the two countries, taking into account humanitarian cases, and low-income individuals.
– Opening direct flights back and forth between the State of Qatar to Saudi Arabia for those wishing to perform Hajj and Umrah rituals.
– Allowing the flow of remittances between campaigns, Hajj and Umrah service providers in Qatar, Hajj and Umrah agents in Saudi Arabia, and permitting the Qatari currency to float freely in Saudi Arabia.

The National Human Rights Committee welcomes the international positions and the urgent appeal issued by the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion and belief, and Amnesty International’s statement issued on 5 June 2018 on the prevention of pilgrims from the State of Qatar from performing religious rituals, and considers these positions as an important step in bringing the file to the international human rights mechanisms of the United Nations.

The NHRC also calls on international organizations to intensify efforts to lift the injustice of pilgrims and to prevent the politicization of religious rites and their use as a political leveraging tool.

In light of the silence of the regional mechanisms of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the League of Arab States, the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Muslim World League, the National Human Rights Committee shall continue its international efforts to condemn, and hold accountable the Saudi authorities for these violations and shall spare no effort to resort to all legal procedures for their prosecution for the psychological damage caused to individuals and material losses incurred by campaigns.

21 Ramadan 1439
06 June 2018
Doha, Qatar

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(Text of The Statement)

The National Human Rights Committee of the State of Qatar welcomes the European Parliament resolution No. 2018/2712 (RSP) dated May 31, 2018, which affirmed the human rights violations resulting from the unjust blockade imposed on the State of Qatar by the Saudi authorities and other countries of the blockade, including the following:
– Having regard to the impact on human rights, both at domestic and regional level, of the sanctions put in place by Saudi Arabia and other countries against Qatar and the report on the impact of the Gulf Crisis on human rights published by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in December 2017.
– Having regard to the statement of 29 May 2018 by the Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on recent arrests in Saudi Arabia, including the arbitrary detention and disappearance, without due process, of Nawaf Talal Rasheed, a prince from the Al-Rashid dynasty, and the son of the late poet Nawaf Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al-Rashid.
– Calls on the Saudi authorities to end incitement to hatred and discrimination against religious minorities, and against all other individuals and groups subjected to violations of their human rights by Saudi Arabia, including foreign nationals from countries from other regions.
The NHRC considers the resolution as a positive step, being added to the positions of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Special Rapporteurs on condemnation of the unilateral measures taken by the countries of the blockade, and calls on the European Parliament to take further steps and actions to condemn the countries of the blockade and ensure accountability of these countries for violations and responsibility to redress for victims.
The National Human Rights Committee of Qatar also calls on EU countries to support the European Parliament’s position and to exert pressure to put an end to human rights violations resulting from the blockade imposed on the State of Qatar.

15 Ramadan 1439
31 May 2018
Doha, Qatar

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(Text of the Statement)

Qatar National Human Rights Committee has received a complaint from the family of the Qatari citizen Nawaf Talal Al – Rasheed, stating that he has been arrested by the Saudi authorities without any charges made against him, and expressing their deep concern at the lack of knowledge of his place of detention, enforced disappearance and the denial of contact with them and his lawyer. According to the complaint, the last communication received from him was the day before yesterday when he was in Kuwait.
The National Human Rights Committee confirms that the detention of the Qatari citizen Nawaf Talal Al – Rasheed is a continuation of the human rights violations committed by the Saudi authorities against some of the citizens of Qatar, and the series of fabrication of lies and unfounded arguments for the arbitrary arrests, in violation of all international human rights treaties, instruments and norms.
Accordingly, Qatar National Human Rights Committee calls upon all international human rights bodies and organizations and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to promptly intervene to release the aforesaid citizen, and calls upon the Saudi authorities to disclose his legal status and to immediately allow him to communicate with his family and lawyer in Doha.

The NHRC also calls on the Saudi authorities to ensure that he is not subjected to torture or other ill-treatment, and holds the Saudi authorities fully responsible for his security and safety.

27 Shaaban 1439
13 May 2018
Doha, Qatar

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Doha: May 9, 2018

The National Human Rights Committee organized a workshop on “Labor Rights in the State of Qatar and the Entry and Exit Law” for employees of the Human Rights Department, the General Administration of Passports and the Ministry of Labor, Administrative Development and Social Affairs; with a view to identify international and regional labor rights mechanisms. The workshop highlights the international context of workers’ rights from the perspective of international conventions and treaties, as well as the role of NGOs and civil society in promoting and protecting workers’ rights. In addition, it focus on the national framework for workers’ rights in the State of Qatar and in particular the legal frameworks regulating them.

Dr. Mohammed Seif Al-Kuwari, member of the National Human Rights Committee, said that Qatar is a country that has a strong track record in promoting and protecting workers’ rights in view of Qatar’s dependence on large numbers of expatriate workers who continue to achieve economic growth and improve its infrastructure. Al-Kuwari said: “the state’s concern for the promotion of workers’ rights is reflected in a number of changes to the policies and amendments to the laws related to the rights of workers and work conditions in order to achieve the greatest possible guarantees of decent work with a labor-based approach, as well as health care and safety in workplaces, in addition to achieving the necessary stability regarding their legal status and residence in the country in full conformity with international charters and instruments and the permanent constitution of the State of Qatar. Al-Kuwari added that this framework focuses on legal and political frameworks related to the rights of workers in the State of Qatar, in particular Law No. (21) of 2015 regulating the entry and exit of expatriates and their residence.
In the same context, the workshop tackled a number of themes; including, during the first session the international framework for workers ‘rights and the international and regional mechanisms for protecting workers’ rights presented by Ms. Hala Al Ali, legal advisor at the NHRC, the rights of workers in international conventions and treaties, presented by Dr. Yehia Konstantinides, assistant professor of law and human rights specialist at the Faculty of Law, Qatar University and the role of the International Labor Organization, NGOs and civil society in the promotion and protection of rights presented by Mr. Abdul Samad Sukkar, Research and Studies Expert, Police College. In the second session, the workshop discussed the national framework for workers’ rights and the labor law in Qatar and the guarantees provided to the worker presented by Dr. Fawzi Balkanani, Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Law at Qatar University and Professor of Labor Law, as well as a reading in Law No. (21) of 2015 concerning the entry and exit of expatriates and their residence and role in promoting the rights of workers in the State of Qatar presented by Mr. Ahmed Abdullah Al-Subaie, the Association of Qatari Lawyers. In its third session, the workshop reviewed the situation of workers ‘rights in Qatar as well as its review of the assessment of the situation of workers’ rights in the report of the NHRC in Qatar according to the latest report and statistics on complaints submitted by Ms. Rania Fouad Jadallah, legal expert at the NHRC. In addition to the human rights situation in the State of Qatar, the progress achieved and shortcomings in terms of policies and procedures were reviewed by representatives of the inspection department under the Assistant Undersecretary for Labor Affairs, Mr. Mohamed Abdel Wahid Al-Obaidli and Ms. Iman Al-Ishaq.

May 5, 2018

The NHRC has released “labour Booklet” in its new version, within the framework of the Committee’s mandate in promoting human rights awareness and education. Mr. Abdulla Al Kaabi, Director of the Legal Affairs Department of the Committee, said in a press statement: This booklet is one of the most important publications of the Committee in raising awareness of the rights and duties of the workers. It was first published in 2009 in seven languages: Arabic, English, Nepalese, Filipino, Indonesian, Urdu and Tamil. Thousands of copies have been distributed in and outside the State of Qatar, and had a good echo at the national, regional and international levels. “Today, the Committee is issuing the fifth edition with an updated version of the booklet to include new legislation such as the Domestic Workers Act, amendments to the Labor Code, the Residence Act and its modern applications and mechanisms.”

Al-Kaabi pointed out that the State of Qatar has achieved further strengthening and respect for human rights. The Committee’s issuance of this booklet reflects these developments in a practical and accessible format for all; pointing out that the booklet contains the basic information for work and residence in Qatar in thirteen chapters, facilitates the search for information away from rigid legal terminology, in order to reach all groups at different levels of scientific and cultural.
In the drafting of this booklet, the language of direct communication to the target group was used to develop answers to the most frequently asked questions, to clarify the rights and duties of workers and to guide how to benefit from the legal system and remedies available to those groups.

Al Kaabi added that the updated version of the booklet will be printed in the same seven languages ​​that were previously published. Al-Kaabi said that the new languages ​​will be added including the Malayalam language, and other African languages ​​including Swahili, Nigerian, Congolese and Bengali.

It is worth mentioning that the National Human Rights Committee is accredited by the International Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions in Geneva under status “A”. It is subject to continuous evaluation every five years, and the Committee makes recommendations to the Government for consistency with international human rights standards.

In the field of the right to work, the Committee receives complaints and petitions by e-mail or hotline or in person at its headquarters, whether by the complainant or on his/her behalf, and the Committee seeks to mediate with the concerned parties in order to provide solutions to those affected. It also provides free legal advice, has a program of cooperation with a number of law firms in the State of Qatar, conducts field visits to places of residence, work, places of detention and health and education, either on its own or based on a complaint. It also publishes awareness leaflets on a regular basis, organizes campaigns and publishes reports On the human rights situation in the State of Qatar on its website every year.

Doha: May 2, 2018

The president of the National Human Rights Committee, Dr. Ali Ben Smaikh Al-Marri, met today at the Committee’s headquarters with the delegation of the Spanish Parliament which is currently visiting the state under the chairmanship of Manuel Guerl Mo Altaba, Chairman of the Spanish Senate Justice Commission. The meeting discussed ways of cooperation in issues of common concern and activation of the exchange of experience and expertise in various human rights issues.