December 16, 2019

Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al-Marri, Chairman of the National Commission for Human Rights, met with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Arabian Gulf Affairs. During the meeting, a number of of human rights issues were discussed, and the two sides discussed ways to cooperate on issues of common concern. Dr. Ali bin Smaikh also met with Mr. Christian Silvo, President of The Qatari-European Friendship Association, and the meeting discussed ways of cooperation on issues of mutual interest in what promotes the human rights issue.

Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al-Marri, Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee, said that after more than 30 months, human rights violations are still continuous, stressing that it is unacceptable that the blockading countries continue to plunge families into Political conflict. Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al-Marri stressed in his intervention during a session entitled “Preserving human rights in times of crisis”, during the second day of Doha Forum, that the National Human Rights Committee will spare no effort to defend the rights of victims and those affected by the crisis, whatever the fate of the political crisis, pointing out that the National Committee will issue a report next month on the continued violations of the Emirati authorities in total disregard of the ICJ order.

On a question about the committee’s efforts in the light of the blockade crisis and handling of grievances submitted by Qataris, Dr. Al-Marri said: “the National Human Rights Committee monitors human rights violations resulting from the blockade and provide the necessary recommendations and inform the international human rights mechanisms at the United Nations, international organizations and specialized agencies about these violations”.

Al Marri added: “Since the beginning of the Gulf crisis, we have confirmed that states have a sovereign right to cut ties with Qatar, but that they have transcended them to take unilateral, arbitrary measures that amount to collective sanctions and economic aggression. Some of these countries announced that they have addressed some violations, but on the ground the violations are still continuing, especially by the UAE, and we have submitted reports to international bodies in this regard, and we will publish a detailed report on the continuation of their violations, during the next month. We hope that the blockading countries stop plunging families into the conflict and political differences, and I do not know the reason for their insistence to continue these punitive measures.”

Qatar has made numerous reforms to protect workers’ rights

On a question about rights of migrant workers in Qatar, and the laws it issued to improve the conditions of their work and residence conditions, the Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee said: “There are challenges in the Gulf region regarding the conditions of migrant workers, but there are many measures that have been taken in Qatar. Previously, there were many challenges such as the sponsorship law, delaying salaries, the difficulty of changing the employer, and imposing the exit policy, and that some expatriate workers fell prey to recruitment offices because of obtaining false contracts, and these were the most prominent challenges in the countries of source and destination countries. Our role in the National Human Rights Committee is to protect and promote human rights. Since the establishment of the committee in 2004, we have focused on the issue of workers’ rights, and made recommendations to introduce amendments to laws and legislation, and the government has begun to make determined efforts and reforms to delaying salaries. The Ministry of Labor has established a system to protect wages, where it becomes obligatory for companies to transfer salaries to bank accounts under the supervision of the Ministry of Labor. We have achieved many reforms, and difficulties remain because of companies that left the market, but the majority benefit from the new system. The government also created a fund for migrant workers, canceled the sponsorship system in 2015 and replaced it with a labor law that regulates the relationship between Workers and employers. There are challenges and difficulties that are not related to the State of Qatar, but rather to the country of origin that exports the labor, where workers are deceived by fake contracts, and in order to address this, recruitment centers were established in the countries of origin. The cabinet also approved a draft that will for the first time establish a minimum wage, all of which are measures aimed at overcoming these matters; noting that these efforts are referred to in the report issued by the International Labor Organization in Qatar on the conditions of migrant workers, and our focus in the National Human Rights Committee is on implementing laws in reality.”

A commitment to protect journalists

On the challenges facing freedom of expression and the protection of journalists, the chairman of the National Human Rights Committee said: “Journalists play an important role, and we on the one hand help to protect them through many mechanisms, such as organizing an international conference to defend freedom of expression. On the other hand, there are resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly on protecting Journalists in times of crisis. Next February, we will organize a conference on Social Media: Challenges and Ways to Promote Freedoms and Protect Activists; through these conferences and activities we raise awareness on how we protect the inseparable rights of journalists.”

Role of GANHRI

On the role of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, Dr. Al-Marri-Secretary-General and Vice-President of GANHRI said: “GANHRI includes 110 national institutions established according to the Paris Principles that encourage all governments to establish human rights institutions to promote and protect Human rights in every country, At the same time, these institutions should cooperate with international institutions. the Global Alliance considers the protection of human rights an important indicator for achieving sustainable development in any country. A decision was recently adopted by UN GA to give national institutions the right to work with the United Nations. We can consider Human rights institutions in the middle between government entities and civil society, we work with governmental and non-governmental bodies, human rights organizations, and special rapporteurs because we are independent, and our primary role is to urge and encourage governments to ratify human rights agreements to ensure the compatibility of legislation with international human rights standards. ”

Doha: 15 December 2019

Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al-Marri, Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee, met on the sidelines of Doha Forum with His Excellency Mr. Carlos Nigert Musquera, President of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI). The meeting discussed aspects of cooperation on issues of common concern.

Doha, December 13, 2019

Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al-Marri, Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee, met in his office at the Committee’s headquarters with Her Excellency Ms. Koumbou Boly-Barry, the UN Special Rapporteur on Education, visiting the country from December 8 to 16. The two sides discussed the goals of Barry’s visit to Doha, as well as the role of the National Human Rights Committee in protecting and promoting the right to education.

The NHRC celebrates International Human Rights Day at Hamad International Airport

Maryam Al-Attiyah:

– We must bet on young people to promote human rights in societies

– Human rights are a culture that must be rooted in society before being embodied in legislation and laws

– There is an urgent need to establish Arab mechanisms for strengthening the role of youth

– Surveys are required to provide an integrated database to spread awareness of the importance of youth participation in the promotion of human rights

– The participation of youth in all aspects of public life is an inherent right enshrined in international conventions and endorsed by regional and national conventions

– There is an urgent need to put more emphasis on the promotion of youth participation, renouncing guardianship over them and diminishing their capabilities

– The need for young people to enhance their capabilities to support their active participation must be taken into consideration

– The Arabic calligraphy on ‘Human Rights in Islamic Culture’ is a window to introduce the place of human rights in our true religion

Doha, December 10, 2019

Dr. Mohammed Bin Saif Al Kuwari, deputy chairman of the NHRC, opened on Tuesday on the occasion of the International Human Rights Day, which falls on December 10 each year a new version of the exhibition of Arabic Calligraphy on ‘Human Rights in Islamic Culture’ at Hamad International Airport; in the presence of Ms. Maryam bint Abdullah Al-Attiyah, Secretary General of the National Human Rights Committee, Mr. Sultan Al Jamali, assistant secretary- general of the NHRC, a number of representatives from Hamad International Airport and a number of Ambassadors to the State, along with cadres in the National Human Rights Committee, prominent national and international figures, and a large audience of travelers through Hamad International Airport.

The celebration of the human rights day this year comes under the generic call “Standing Up for Human rights” which is in an initiative by the United Nations to highlight the crucial role of youth in the collective and peaceful movements as a source of inspiration for a better future, and empower youth and youth organizations to act as a catalyst for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and to create a better world by promoting human rights, peace and equality. The UN’s call to action this year was to celebrate the potential of young people as constructive agents of change, communicate their voices, engage a wide range of global audiences in the promotion and protection of rights, and encourage, galvanize, and showcase how youth all over the world stand up for rights and against racism, hate speech, bullying, discrimination, and climate change, to name a few.

On the occasion of the International Human Rights Day, the National Human Rights Committee organized a “new version of the exhibition of Arabic calligraphy in Islam” at Hamad International Airport, which will last for 20 days, allowing thousands of visitors to Qatar and passengers crossing through Hamad International Airport to see dozens of paintings that reflect the place of human rights in the Islamic religion.
The audience visiting the pavilions of Arabic Calligraphy Exhibition in Islam was briefed on the exhibition which include creative paintings of Arabic calligraphy including Quran verses and sayings of prophet Muhammed that have a direct relationship with the international conventions on human rights with their translation into the languages of the world, especially English, French and Spanish in the framework of keenness to introduce the principles of the religion of Islam through art, and support the efforts of dialogue between religions, civilizations and cultures.

In a statement, Ms. Mariam bint Abdullah Al-Attiyah, Secretary General of the National Human Rights Committee, said that “the celebration of the International Day is an important occasion to recognize the achievements made by the State of Qatar in the field of protection and promotion of human rights, and to emphasize the keenness of the National Human Rights Committee to continue to urge the State of Qatar to continue the deep reforms it is undertaking to promote and protect human rights. ”
Regarding the importance of the call of action set by the United Nations to celebrate this year’s Human Rights Day, Al Attiyah said: the generic call to action “Stand Up for Human rights” carries a very important message, calling on all countries of the world to pay due attention to the youth, and bet on them to promote a culture of human rights in all societies, before being embodied in legislation and laws.

Al Attiyah pointed out that the National Human Rights Committee attaches great importance to the youth and their role in defending human rights and international legislation. “The participation of young people in all aspects of public life is an inherent right enshrined in international conventions and endorsed by regional and national conventions. all economic and social groups should be fairly represented where capacities of young people should be promoted to support their active participation. The National Human Rights Committee has noted in several occasions that there is an urgent need to establish Arab mechanisms to promote the role of youth where special surveys can be conducted, documenting the experiences of States, providing an integrated database that can be used to formulate their policies and enhance their efforts in spreading awareness aimed at encouraging their participation,” said Al-Attiyah

The exhibition on “Arabic Calligraphy in Islam” is a window to introduce the place of human rights in our true Islamic religion

As for the importance of organizing a new version of the Arabic Calligraphy Exhibition in Islam, in conjunction with the celebration of the International Day for Human Rights, the Secretary-General of the National Human Rights Committee said: “The National Human Rights Committee is always keen on educating and raising awareness of the place our Islamic religion has attached to human rights and the need to respect it “.
Al-Attiyah added, “The the Arabic calligraphy exhibition has turned into a cross-border platform to introduce human rights in Islamic culture, over the past years, and a window to raise awareness of Islam’s role in spreading the culture of peace and tolerance, and the dialogue between religions and civilizations that Qatar has repeatedly advocated in international forums, to combat the culture of incitement and violence that contributed to the spread of extremist ideas, as well as hate speech and attempts to attach terrorism to the Islamic religion. The exhibition also provides a true picture to Western societies of the place Islam has attached to human rights.
Al-Attiyah noted that the new version of the Arabic Calligraphy Exhibition in Islam is considered a new landmark in a long path for this exhibition, which has been previously organized in many world capitals, and attracted a large audience in several cities and capitals, including New York (at the United Nations headquarters), Geneva, Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Greece, Kuwait and Tunisia, as well as Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar, Katara Cultural Village, Fire Station Artist in Residence, and other areas.

The exhibition of human rights in the culture of Islam in the eyes of the ambassadors:

In press statements on the sidelines of the opening of the exhibition “Human Rights in Islamic Culture”, His Excellency Ambassador Omar Al-Barzanji, Iraq’s ambassador to the State of Qatar, stated: “As you know, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was ratified in December 10, 1948. I highly appreciate the organization of this exhibition in this international occasion in the State of Qatar.”
He added: “I gave lectures on human rights to more than 400 diplomats at the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but it have never experienced that awareness can be raised through artistic paintings. I also thank the artist so much for his creativity, he was my student, and today I saw his creativity in artistic paintings.”

In turn, His Excellency Dr. Mustafa Boutoura, the Algerian Ambassador to the State of Qatar stated: “Choosing the idea of organizing a human rights exhibition in Islamic culture is a wonderful innovation. I suggest that this exhibition be organized in various International capitals, because it is important to talk about human rights from the perspective of Islam, the Holy Qur’an and the noble Prophet’s Sunnah, through wonderful artistic paintings. we desperately need to make the place of human rights in our true religion clear to the world”.

For his part, His Excellency Nizar Al-Heraki, the Syrian ambassador to the State of Qatar, said: “On the International Day for Human Rights, which expresses the aspirations of peoples to realize their rights and stop the violations taking place in the world, foremost of which is my country, Syria, in which the most basic human rights are violated in modern history. This exhibition expresses the human heritage found in the Islamic religion, which is the first human rights bill in the history of mankind. the existing paintings express the importance that Islam attaches to human rights, through the Quranic verses contained in these artistic paintings.
He added: “We highly appreciate the National Human Rights Committee’s invitation to attend the opening of this exhibition. The NHRC is always keen on human rights, and always keen to participate and contribute to organizing human rights related activities not only in Qatar, but also In the whole world.”

For his part, His Excellency Mr. Seichi Otsuka, Ambassador of Japan to the State of Qatar, said: “As you know, we attach great importance to human rights in Japan, and this exhibition is very important. It is wonderful that these paintings are displayed at Hamad Airport, which allows thousands of travelers coming to Qatar, or passing through Doha to visit.”

His Excellency Mr. Omelio Cabeiro Rodriguez, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to the State of Qatar, stated: “It is a wonderful initiative by the National Human Rights Committee to celebrate International Human Rights Day. This creative exhibition has a sophisticated artistic touch, drawing on Arab and Islamic art. It is extremely important to organize An exhibition addressing the place of human rights in the Islamic religion, in light of the exploitation of human rights issue for political purposes.

Doha will host the first international conference of its kind in the region during the period from 16 to 17 February

The International Conference is organized by the National Human Rights Committee in cooperation with OHCHR, EP, GANHRI and IFG

Dr. Al Marri: The conference is an opportunity to promote human rights and combat incitement to hatred on social media platforms

The rapid expansion of digital communication infrastructure and advances in digital technology have caused profound societal change

we seek to develop ways to address the challenges and threats faced by social media activists

Doha: 4 December 2019

Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri, Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee, announced the completion of the arrangements for organizing the Doha International Conference on “Social Media: Challenges and Ways to Promote Freedoms and Protect Activists”, which will be held during the period from 16 to 17 February 2020 and organized by the NHRC In cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the European Parliament (EP), the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). Al Marri noted that The conference will bring together more than 300 governmental and non-governmental organizations, human rights defenders, media workers, social media influencers, tech community representatives, relevant special rapporteurs, chairpersons of United Nations treaty bodies, judges, lawyers and victim representatives, as well as international and regional human rights mechanisms, national human rights institutions, research centers and other relevant bodies and organizations.

Dr. Al Marri noted that The aim of the international conference in Doha is to discuss the opportunities that social media have created for promoting human rights, and to explore recurrent forms of interference in the use of social media. In that context, the discussions will identify good practices and examples of social media use contributing to the exercise of human rights; explore the impact of restrictions to online speech established by national laws and policies on journalists, human rights defenders, political activists and social media influencers; as well as discuss the implementation of hate speech provisions in practice and the use of social media platforms to incite and spread hate speech, including against religious minorities.

Dr. Al Marri pointed out that Social media platforms have changed social and political communication in the world. Opportunities for exercising fundamental rights and freedoms of expression, assembly, association and participation in public life have been expanded in unparalleled ways. The rapid expansion of digital communication infrastructure and advances in digital technology have caused profound societal change, posing both challenges and opportunities for human rights and civic space.

The Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee pointed out that Protection of human rights today and in future will increasingly depend on our ability to articulate how to apply human rights principles to social media and make good use of those platforms. They have become an indispensable tool for the realization of a range of human rights and for boosting economic and social development. New technologies and interconnectedness have helped civil society networks to grow, including across borders.

Dr. Al Marri said Over the years, Over the years, governments and other groups struggling to assert their dominance in public debate have attempted to interfere with the social media in many different ways. As most of the social media platforms are private, technology companies also play a central role responding to multiple requests by authorities and the evolving legal and policy frameworks regulating expression online. Social media companies often establish parameters for moderating content and can be instrumental or detrimental in the response to potential online attacks aimed at chilling expression.

The conference will also explore how social media may be either an important tool for enhancing civic space or for spreading hatred online, which can lead to violence offline. Many social media platforms have therefore included in their terms and conditions specific prohibitions on ‘hate speech’. Some platforms recently updated their rules against hateful conduct to include language that dehumanizes others on the basis of religion. As highlighted by the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, “war starts in the minds and is cultivated by a reasoning fueled by often hidden advocacy of hatred. Positive speech is also the healing tool of reconciliation and peace-building in the hearts and minds”

Doha: 26 November 2019

Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri, Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee, met at his office today with The Swedish ambassador to Qatar, Anders Bengtcén.

Doha: 25 November 2019

Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri, Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee, met at his office with Dr. Narad Nas Pradawaj, Ambassador of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. The meeting discussed ways of cooperation in issues of mutual interest and the exchange of experiences and expertise in the field of human rights.

The Vice-Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), Dr. Mohammed bin Saif Al Kuwari, met with Ms. E. Tendayi Achiume, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
The meeting dealt with means of cooperation on issues of common interest and activating mechanisms for exchanging experiences and expertise, especially best practices to eliminate all forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance. During the meeting, an introductory presentation was delivered about NHRC, its objectives, legal nature, mechanisms of work and methods of receiving complaints and ways to resolve them as well as the role of human rights education in promoting tolerance and eliminating racism, racial discrimination and related intolerance.

In the same context, officials reviewed the NHRC’s role in urging the State to accede to international conventions and covenants on human rights, as well as making recommendations on national legislation related to the protection and promotion of human rights culture. The Committee pointed out that the State of Qatar exerts great efforts to combat contemporary forms of racism through its commitments to implement the Durban Declaration and Program of Action in the context of spreading human rights awareness, and establishing a culture of tolerance and peace.
The Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance is an independent human rights expert appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council, and has been mandated to focus on Incidents of contemporary forms of racism and racial discrimination against Africans and people of African descent, Arabs, Asians and people of Asian descent, migrants, refugees, asylum-seekers, persons belonging to minorities and indigenous peoples, as well as other victims included in the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA).

Bogota, November 23

HE Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri, who is also Deputy Chairman of the Global Alliance for National Human Rights Institutions, Secretary General of the alliance has affirmed his commitment to continue exerting every effort to make the Global Alliance stronger and more effective in its relationship with national human rights institutions to achieve the overarching goal of protecting human rights throughout the world.

His Excellency noted that the Global Alliance had come a long way in the past ten years and had been recognized internationally, and many achievements had been made, which had enabled it to become the main interface of national human rights institutions at the global level, and speak with one voice on behalf of its members.

This came during the participation of HE Dr. Al Marri in the annual meeting of the Office of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions in Colombia on November ,20, 21 and 22 for the first time since his election as Secretary-General and Deputy Chairman of the Global Alliance.

The National Human Rights in the State of Qatar (NHRC) has won the confidence of 120 national human rights institutions across the world to assume leadership positions in the global coalition, where HE Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri unanimously elected to the positions of Deputy Chairman and Secretary General of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, and member of the Executive Office of the Alliance National Human Rights Institutions.

Dr. Mohammed bin Saif Al-Kuwari, Deputy Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) was selected to serve as a member of the Board of Elders of the Asia-Pacific Forum in accordance with the election results held on the sidelines of the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions, hosted by Hong Kong, China on September 18 and 19, 2018.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the Office of the Global Alliance of NHRIs in Colombian city of Medellin, HE Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri praised the hosting of this historic event, expressing appreciation to the commitment of the members of the Global Alliance of NHRIs for their continued commitment and will to make the organization more participatory, more representative and more powerful than ever.

He also appreciated the support of UNDP partners, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and their long-term partnership with the Global Alliance for the Protection of Human Rights worldwide, along with the appreciation of the efforts of United Nations Headquarters in Geneva to support the necessary cooperation and synergy between the Office of the President and the Office of the Secretary-General in order to achieve common goals.

Dr. Al Marri said: “As the Chairman of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions has emphasized, human rights are not mere words, but are obligations to take responsibility for taking effective and concrete action. It has continuously grown to become more visible and recognized globally, and many achievements have been made thus far, and the Global Alliance has been able to become the main interface of NHRIs globally, speaking with one voice on behalf of its members.”

HE Dr. Al Marri reviewed some of the benefits and achievements of the Global Alliance, starting with the signing in May 2019 of the agreement with the European Union in relation to the second phase of the project of national human rights institutions. He noted that last June, witnessed the most prominent and very fruitful event through the 9th annual meeting of Cooperation between the three parties, namely, the United Nations Development Program and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, with the four regional networks of national human rights institutions to help intensify cooperation on many topics in order to continue to implement the common protocols for cooperation in cases of national human rights institutions that are under threat.

Moreover, the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, through its four regional networks and national human rights institutions, is now considered a more active and key player in dialogues on global issues such as migration as recognized in the Global Migration Charter and its role has also emerged recently during the Cairo conference and the subsequent Cairo Declaration adopted two weeks ago, HE Dr. Al Marri added .

His Excellency pointed out that a great deal of work had been done successfully in recent months by the members of the Alliance and through its offices and under the leadership of its adviser Mrs. Luna Lindhout, reflecting the expectations, mission and vision of the Alliance in addition to its values with respect to the coming years in the plan for the new strategy of the Global Alliance, noting that numerous constructive and valuable discussions will be held in the coming days to strengthen this plan.

His Excellency stressed that in order to strengthen our role in collecting and representing different voices from the lowest levels to the global levels and implementing the global vision at the local level, a larger network of national human rights institutions had been established that complies with the principles set out in the Paris Convention. The breakthrough in recent months shows not only how the Global Alliance, in partnership with external partners, had become a source of inspiration, but also how much internal coordination can be achieved of efforts is tremendous .

He concluded by noting that the meeting of the Global Alliance Office constituted the decisive steps towards building a global alliance of national institutions for the promotion of human rights commensurate with the future, expressing thanks to all for their valuable and effective discussions through these collaborative processes.

“We fully believe that our mutual support is the key to global success, and we will continue to make efforts to make the Global Alliance of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights a stronger and more effective alliance with national human rights institutions to achieve the ultimate goal, which is the protection of human rights throughout the world, HE Dr. Al Marri said.”

Last Monday, on the eve of its annual meeting in Colombia, the Office of the Global Alliance for Human Rights held a conference on migration, during which it had discussed the Global Alliance’s vision and future strategy to address the problem of migration.

The conference discussed two main items, the first related to the study of the “Marrakech World Charter”, which was adopted at the Marrakech Conference held in December 2018, and ratified by about 164 countries around the world, the conference also addressed the safe, orderly and regular migration and expresses “a collective commitment to improve cooperation in international migration”.

The agreement, published by the United Nations following its ratification in Marrakech, included 23 goals under which it seeks to better manage migration at the local, regional and international levels.

The Global Alliance for Human Rights also discussed among other issues, the outcome of the meeting of the Working Group on Migration of the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions, held in Cairo on 5 and 6 November 2019, which discussed the implementation of the Marrakesh Global Charter on Migration on the ground, and the common vision of national human rights institutions on the Charter, and the opportunities and challenges that migration raises.

After three days of discussions, the Global Alliance meeting presented the updated version of the approved Strategic Plan and presented the final conclusions and remarks by HE Chair of the Global Alliance Carlos Alfonso Negrete Mosquera.