– Exchange of experiences with regard to the affairs of expatriate workers and improvement of their welfare

– Developing a plan to implement the recommendations of international conferences held in the State of Qatar on human rights

– Coordination between the two sides to monitor and respond to the human rights violations in Qatar

– Joint work on legislative harmonization with international human rights standards

Doha: July 7, 2019

The National Human Rights Committee and administrative development, labour and social affairs stressed the need for cooperation to exchange experiences in matters relating to labor and improve their welfare in the State of Qatar to achieve the public interest and to ensure a mechanism for joint cooperation in a manner that promotes coordination between them according to Qatar National Vision 2030, And the National Strategy of the State (2017-2022).

This came in a memorandum of understanding signed by the two sides at the headquarters of the NHRC, by Ms. Maryam Bint Abdullah Al Attiyah and Mr. Mohammed Hassan Al Obaidli, Deputy Undersecretary for Labor Affairs. The Memorandum of Understanding recognizes the importance of cooperation between the two parties, which contributes to the dissemination and promotion of the culture of human rights and the protection of these rights. The memorandum emphasized that the two parties would cooperate in a manner consistent with the general objectives and work strategy and competencies of each of them in the field of public awareness of human rights principles and standards. The scope of cooperation also includes: first: knowledge production to achieve legislative harmonization with international human rights standards in order to achieve openness to regional and international bodies and to cooperate in the field of international and regional conferences, second: joint contribution to national, regional and international human rights events, third: As well as aspects relating to the human rights situation in areas related to the work of the two sides, fourth: strategic cooperation to develop public awareness of human rights principles and standards in the preparation and issuance of manuals, guidebooks, brochures, fifth:  launching joint media campaigns on issues of common concern with a view to disseminating the culture and principles of human rights, and sixth: exchange of experiences through workshops, conferences, seminars and training programs held by both parties to spread the desired benefit in the field of human rights.

The two sides stressed the importance of cooperation in the field of knowledge production and agreed on an agenda to discuss phenomena and problems of common concern that can be monitored in the local context or extrapolated in relevant UN resolutions through analytical descriptive studies, field studies, Work, interactive dialogues and so on. The MOU called for action to achieve legislative harmonization with international human rights standards and to seek the greatest possible compatibility between legislation relevant to the parties and international human rights instruments. Furthermore, the memorandum provided for cooperation to open up to regional and international bodies and using experiences of the two parties to open up to the organizations and bodies concerned with regional and international human rights (governmental and non-governmental) to achieve the common objectives of both parties, as well as monitoring what may be raised about the human rights situation in the State, and coordination between the parties to respond to them.

The memorandum of understanding also includes aspects of cooperation in the field of international and regional conferences and the development of a plan to implement the recommendations of the international conferences held in the State of Qatar on the issues of mutual interest and related human rights and joint conferences organized by the committees and national human rights institutions. In addition to the importance of cooperation on joint cooperation in national, regional and international human rights events including the Arab Human Rights Day (16 March each year), the Qatari Human Rights Day (November 11 of each year), and International Human Rights Day (10 December of each year), as well as the preparation of manuals at relevant United Nations, regional and national human rights events.

Doha: 1 July 2019

Ms. Mariam Bint Abdullah Al-Attiyah, Secretary General of the National Human Rights Committee, met at her office at the Committee’s headquarters with a delegation of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission of the Republic of South Korea, who is visiting the country these days. The meeting dealt with means of cooperation on issues of common concern. During the meeting, the Secretary-General explained the objectives and mission of the National Human Rights Committee, its legal nature and the working methods and mechanisms of the Committee, and affirmed the Commission’s desire to cooperate with a number of State institutions in the Republic of Korea specialized in the protection and promotion of human rights.

– Gulf crisis reaches peak of escalation, and needs immediate action

– The US administration will shoulder some responsibility if they do not act immediately to prevent the blockading countries from deliberately prolonging the crisis and to protect human rights in the Gulf

– the NHRC is ready to hold a hearing for the victims from the blockading countries in the US Congress

– we Call on The mission of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission to visit the NHRC and investigate the repercussions of the blockade in Qatar

– The peoples of the Gulf cannot tolerate further escalation; prolongation of the blockade exacerbates the human tragedy

– Gulf meetings and summits ignored the suffering of the Gulf peoples

– Stability in the Gulf begins with provision for adequate rehabilitation and compensation for victims and the restoration of the Gulf cohesion

– The Qatari government has passed many legislation and laws to develop and protect human rights

– Adoption of the first law of political asylum in the region

– The ILO and numerous human rights organizations have valued national labor law reforms

– The success of any regional or international alliance depends on resolving the crisis and putting an end to the suffering of the Gulf peoples

– We will not be silent on Advocacy of incitement to hatred by senior officials of the countries of the blockade against Al Jazeera and Qatari media

Washington:

Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al-Marri, chairman of the National Human Rights Committee, noted that the United States, like other Western governments, would bear some responsibility if they do not act immediately to prevent the blockading countries from deliberately prolonging the crisis and to protect human rights in the Gulf, as it does in the rest of the world.

During his visit to Washington DC, Dr. Al Marri called on the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission in the US Congress to visit the National Human Rights Committee in Doha to investigate the repercussions of the blockade and know about the reforms done by Qatar in the field of labour rights and protecting the human rights of Qatari citizens and expatriates. He expressed NHRC’s readiness to bring a number of the blockade victims to provide live testimonies on their suffering during a hearing in the US Congress.

During his meeting in Washington with Mr. Tim Lenderking Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Arabian Gulf Affairs in the Near East Bureau at the U.S. Department of State, Dr. Al Marri praised the statements made by Lenderking on the humanitarian repercussions of the blockade crisis and warned of the repercussions of dispersing the Gulf families.

“These violations continue to exist and the countries of the blockade continue to put obstacles to hinder the movement of families between them and the State of Qatar in violation of their basic rights, foremost of which is the right to family reunification, movement, treatment, property and other basic rights,” Al Marri said.

Intensive meetings with US administration officials and congressmen

Al Marri held a series of meetings with a number of members of the US House of Representatives, including Ted Deutch, Chairman for the Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and International Terrorism on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Representative Jim Himes, Member of Congressional Group on Qatar, Representative Gus Bilirakis, Co-Chair of the Congressional Group on Qatar, Representative Hank Johnson, Member of Congressional Group on Qatar, Representative Chris Stewart, Member of Congressional Group on Qatar, Representative Steve Chabot, Member of the Subcommittee on the Middle East, Representative Vicky Hartzler, and Representative Jackie Speier.

“We hear, from time to time, about international and regional efforts to ensure security and stability in the region. It should be noted that the success of any efforts to establish a regional or international alliance depend on resolving the Gulf crisis, ending the violations of the blockade countries and restoring the rights to the Gulf peoples affected by the crisis,” Al Marri said.

Dr. Al Marri also briefed the representatives on the reforms made by the State of Qatar in the area of labour rights, the development of laws and legislation that guarantee the rights of citizens and expatriates in the country, and human rights in general.

“The State of Qatar has undertaken a series of reforms to labour laws, protection of the rights of expatriates and human rights in general,” Al Marri said, noting that the ILO and other human rights organizations have valued the reforms undertaken by the Qatari government, including the adoption of the first law on political asylum in the region.

Dr. Al Marri pointed that the government of Qatar has responded to many of the recommendations that the National Human Rights Committee has always submitted, which has enabled the adoption of many legislations and laws that grant more rights to Qatari citizens and residents, the latest of which was Qatar’s accession to the International Covenants of political, civil, economic and social rights, noting that the NHRC continues to call on the Qatari government to continue the course of reforms.

Responding to questions from these representatives on the international efforts, particularly the Kuwaiti mediation to solve the Gulf crisis, Dr. Al Marri said: “Unfortunately, the previous Gulf meetings and summits failed to find a solution to the suffering of the Gulf peoples, because the countries of the blockade have ignored their human tragedies, and insisted on further harming these peoples and dispersing family ties”.

Al Marri also gave a brief on the vicious campaigns led by the United Arab Emirates since the beginning of the crisis against the NHRC attempting to cast doubt on its credibility, stressing that NHRC shall bear no effort to undertake its legal and judicial procedures to prosecute UAE officials for their violations and attempts to discredit the NHRC.

Dr. Al Marri said about threats to bomb Al Jazeera Network: “We will not accept attacks on journalists, the promotion of hate speech and incitement against journalists and media institutions”> Al Marri called the American administration for more attention to the Gulf peoples and their suffering, stressing that ensuring stability in the Gulf region begins with putting an end to the violations caused by the blockade of Qatar and restoring unity between the Gulf societies.

– After more than two years, the Gulf crisis is still in place, and the suffering of the victims is getting worse

– The audience was shocked by the critical repercussions of the crisis of the blockade of Qatar

– They questioned the harsh sanctions that have been imposed on citizens and residents of the Gulf states due to the political crisis

– Participants in the seminar noted the need to neutralize civilians in any political conflicts

– Intellectuals, diplomats, parliamentarians and journalists can play a crucial role in protecting human rights and educating world public opinion

Washington:

The US administration, elites, organizations and parliamentarians, as well as American politicians can play more effective role in pressuring the blockading countries and urging them to stop their violations of human rights, said Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri, noting that after more than two years , the Gulf crisis is still in place, and the suffering of the victims is getting worse because of the intransigence of the blockading countries and their disregard for the calls of governments and international organizations that condemned the violations caused by the blockade.

This came during a seminar held by Qatar-America Institute in Washington, DC, in the presence of a group of think tanks in the United States, including diplomats, intellectuals, researchers of intellectual institutions, writers and journalists, where they talked about developments of the human rights in the State of Qatar and the repercussions of the blockade imposed since June 5, 2017.

At the beginning of the session, Dr. Al Marri gave an overview of the establishment of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) , its functions, the most important challenges it faced in protecting and developing human rights in Qatar, and the new challenges posed by the blockade crisis.

Responding to a question about the committee’s handling of complaints filed by expatriate workers in Qatar, Dr. Al Marri said: “Since the establishment of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), we have been keen to receive all complaints submitted by expatriates from different nationalities and we are working with the concerned authorities in the country to resolve the concerns raised. We have made many recommendations to the Qatari government to amend some laws, and many legislations have been amended in favor of the protection of labor rights and human rights in general, notably abolition of the sponsorship law, noting the importance of the opening of the ILO office in Doha and the appreciation of the reforms undertaken by the Qatari Government for the protection and development of human rights.

On his assessment of the US role since the beginning of the Gulf crisis, Dr. Al Marri said: “We believe that the US administration can play a more effective and influential role in resolving the Gulf crisis and pressure its allies the blockading countries to stop violations of the rights of citizens and residents of the State of Qatar, and the right of Gulf families in general, as a matter of priority given by Washington to the issue of defending human rights in the world.”

Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri went said that “We bet on a greater role for think tanks in the United States. thinkers, diplomats, parliamentarians and journalists are the most important actors who can play a crucial role in protecting human rights and educating world public opinion.”

On the challenges facing the NHRC since the beginning of the Gulf crisis, Dr. Al-Marri said, “since the first day of the blockade, we have been received numerous complaints from citizens and residents of the State of Qatar, and even from citizens of the countries of the blockade and we have been keen to communicate with the various concerned bodies and human rights institutions of the blockading countries, to try to stop the violations that affected thousands of families, but to no avail. “

“Over the past two years, we have worked on different legal and human rights paths to try to compensate the victims, condemn the grave violations of the blockade, and encourage the affected people and the Qatari government to take all possible legal and judicial measures to redress victims”, Dr. Al-Marri said . Al Marri gave the audience copies of the reports of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) on the violations resulting from the blockade together with the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the order of the International Court of Justice, which all unanimously condemned the discriminatory measures of the blockading countries against the citizens and residents of the State of Qatar. Al Marri also provided them with a brief on the international cases against the countries of the blockade, with the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the International Court of Justice, World Trade union, the International Civil Aviation Organization and other legal tracks.

Dr. Al Marri presented a detailed report on the order of the International Court of Justice on the violations of the UAE, pointing out that it extended to property owners and investors who incurred losses since the beginning of the crisis and have not been able to recover their property or compensation for damage to their property, in parallel to the difficult access of those affected to the UAE courts to exercise their right to litigation, as stipulated in the International Court of Justice ruling pointing out that the UAE has become an unsafe environment for Qatari investors.

The participants were shocked of the serious dimensions of the crisis of the blockade of Qatar and questioned the harsh sanctions have been imposed on citizens and residents of the Gulf states due to the political crisis. They stressed the need to neutralize civilians in any political conflicts.

Al Saadi: Special Rapporteur on freedom of education promised to compensate affected students

Geneva, 26 June 2019

The National Human Rights Committee affirmed that the UAE continues to violate the order of the International Court of Justice issued on July 23, 2018, including the provisional measures to give Qatari students the opportunity to complete their education in the United Arab Emirates or to obtain their educational records if they wish to continue their studies elsewhere. Dr. Mohamed Al Saadi, Director of the Department of International Cooperation of the National Human Rights Committee in the intervention of the NHRC in the 41st session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva said that to date the UAE has not responded to the order of the International Court of Justice in flagrant violations of Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 13 of International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Al Saadi added that the affected Qatari students had raised their complaints to the Special Rapporteur on freedom of education who promised them to continue working on their cases to get compensation for violating their right to education.
In his speech, Al-Saadi noted that the National Human Rights Committee had monitored 513 violations during the period from 2017 to 2018 by the blockading countries because of its unilateral measures against the State of Qatar. He said: 66 Qatari students were affected in Saudi Arabia, 148 in the UAE and 28 in Bahrain, pointing out that these countries expelled these affected and deprived them of completing their studies. “These violations are also confirmed in the December 2007 report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Technical Mission, entitled The Impact of the Current Gulf Crisis on Human Rights, and they are also documented by international organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch And AFDI.

There is an urgent need to sign a memorandum of understanding to strengthen strategic coordination between the United Nations and the Global Alliance

Strengthening coordination supports the achievement of the United Nations Strategy by 2030

Stressing the need to build on the role of national human rights institutions to achieve the strategic plan of the Secretary-General of the United Nations

The partnership between the Global Alliance, the Office of the High Commissioner and the United Nations Development Program is an excellent model

Only 39% of UN Member States have national human rights institutions with status A of accreditation

National human rights institutions operating in situations of conflict or other difficult circumstances must be protected

New York, Wednesday 19 June 2019

The Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri, Secretary-General and Vice-President of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), affirmed that there is an urgent need to sign a memorandum of understanding between the United Nations and the Global Alliance to strengthen coordination to provide support to national human rights institutions and their protection throughout the world.

In this context, Dr Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri noted the importance to build on the role of national human rights institutions in achieving the United Nations Strategic Plan 2030 to ensure human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the world. In his meeting with UN Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres in New York, Dr. Al Marri stressed that the new Strategic Plan, which the Global Alliance is overseeing its formulation, attaches great importance to the establishment of strategic cooperation and coordination with the United Nations, based on the importance of the role that national human rights institutions within the framework of the Global Alliance can play in achieving the strategic reform plan pursued by the UN Secretary-General of by 2030. Al Marri noted that the reforms undertaken by Antonio Guterres were an appropriate opportunity to get a strategic support for the United Nations system-wide, in order to establish, promote and protect national human rights institutions throughout the world.

Al Marri reiterated the importance of signing a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations that would establish further strategic cooperation and coordination for the United Nations system-wide in the light of the successful experience resulted from the tripartite partnership between the GANHRI, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Development Program, which is an excellent model that leads to positive achievements.

The presence of strong and independent national human rights institutions in line with the Paris Principles has been recognized as an indicator of progress for sustainable development, particularly in the national institutions index, Al Marri said during his meeting with the UN Secretary-General.

Al Marri also welcomed the commitment of many States to establish or strengthen their national human rights institutions, for example through the universal periodic review (UPR) process or in the voluntary national reviews submitted to the UN High-level Political Forum.

Al Marri added that at the moment, there are currently only 76 countries that have national human rights institutions with A-status accreditation, representing 39% of the United Nations member states, pointing out that this stressed the urgent need to strengthen strategic coordination and cooperation between the United Nations and the Global Alliance to reach the required progress by 2030.

Dr. Al Marri suggested that the UN Secretary-General, in coordination with the Global Alliance, the United Nations Development Program and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, develop a joint strategy to promote the establishment and strengthen the national human rights institutions in all regions of the world, in line with the Paris Principles and the national human rights institutions indicator. Al Marri said this strategy could include coordination in the area of prevention, since national human rights institutions are often responsible for reliable and evidence-based information on human rights situations that may lead to conflict, and as such they are in an ideal position for early warning and provide an advice on the implementation of conflict prevention measures.

– The next strategy establishes a new vision that will make the Global Alliance more powerful and influential

– the Global Alliance becomes an effective and influential international forum in the eyes of governments, peoples and human rights actors

– GANHRI seeks to support and prompt national human rights institutions to upgrade their international accreditation in accordance with the Paris Principles

– 72 national human rights institutions across the world are classified according to the Paris Principles

– We seek to increase the number of national human rights institutions accredited A status

– we urge governments to establish new national human rights institutions in countries where they do not exist

– we encourage the involvement of national institutions in the global alliance, regardless of the level of accreditation

– We call upon the governments to support the independence and effectiveness of human rights institutions

– There is a need for a unified vision of the various national human rights institutions that are part of the global alliance

– There is an urgent need for national human rights institutions to speak in a single voice in various international forums

New York: Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al-Marri, chairman of National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), and secretary general and vice president of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), said that the new strategic plan (2020-2022) of the Alliance shall establish the power of influence and persuasion among governments, peoples and competent parties in various international platforms, in order to strengthen the unity and effectiveness of national human rights institutions affiliated to the Global Alliance, and encouraging them to upgrade their accreditation according to the Paris Principles.

Dr. Al-Marri said that the new strategic plan of the Alliance will encourage and support the establishment of new national human rights institutions in countries where they do not exist, calling at the same time on governments and countries of the world to strengthen the independence and functions of national human rights institutions and to remove various obstacles to the implementation of their functions and visions. This came during the two-day consultative meeting of GANHRI which was held in New York aimed at developing the new strategic plan (2020-2022), which will be submitted for adoption at the next General Assembly in spring 2020 in Geneva.

During the meeting, which were attended by GANHRI chairperson Dr. Carlos Alfonso Negret Mosquera, Defensor del Pueblo of Colombia, and heads and coordinators of the regional networks of national human rights institutions across the world, focused on assessing the performance of the Global Alliance over the past period, identifying the restrictions and challenges facing it or impeding the achievement of its goals in the past, and the goals that the it aspires to achieve in the future, and then determining which strategy should be developed to achieve that goals in the coming period.

In his speech during the meeting, Dr. Al-Marri said that the first meeting of its kind of the new leadership of the Global Alliance bet on being more effective and persuasive through the implementation of a new strategy over the next three years aimed at enhancing the role and position of the Global Alliance, and then the role of the national human rights institutions affiliated to the Alliance, noting the importance of the strong presence of the various representatives of national human rights institutions at the New York consultative meeting in order to assess past experiences, identify successes and failures, propose solutions and share experiences and problems facing national institutions and the Global Alliance as a whole.

“Everyone agrees that one of the priorities of the next strategy is to define a new vision for communication, with the aim of introducing the Global Alliance and its tasks and vision in strengthening the independence of national human rights institutions and supporting them to achieve their tasks in various countries of the world”, Dr. Al-Marri said. In the same context, Al Marri stressed the need for national human rights institutions within the framework of the Global Alliance to agree on a unified vision that boosts its strength, presence and its persuasive power and to have a single voice in its meetings with the European Union, the United Nations and governments and in various international platforms.

The GANHRI secretary general and vice president also underlined that the new tripartite strategy, if adopted, would support and strengthen national human rights institutions and raise its international classification in accordance with the Paris Principles, pointing out that the Global Alliance currently includes 72 national institutions accredited status (A) in compliance with the Paris Principles, expressing hope to increase the number of these institutions that obtain the same accreditation through the next Strategic Plan (2020-2022), and support national institutions with other statuses to improve their performance and classification.

Al Marri urged national human rights institutions to participate and involve in in the Global Alliance, regardless of their accreditation status, pointing out that GANHRI supports national institutions and their efforts to upgrade their accreditation in accordance with the Paris Principles. National institutions’ failure to obtain status (A) is not a barrier to its involvement in the Global Alliance , as the GANHRI is a mechanism to help and support NHRIs to perform their functions and improve their accreditation, Al Marri underlined.
Dr. Al-Marri also urged governments of the world to support and strengthen the independence of national human rights institutions, establish new national institutions in countries where they do not exist and strengthen existing ones so that they can perform their functions and upgrade their accreditation in accordance with the Paris Principles.

The National Human Rights Committee received with great satisfaction the decision of the International Court of Justice issued on 14 June 2019 to reject the request for provisional measures submitted by the United Arab Emirates under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in its dispute with the State of Qatar. The ICJ has denied a request by the UAE for immediate measures against Qatar including: withdrawing its complaint against the UAE to the UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, preventing its national organizations and the media from publishing accusations against the UAE in cases brought before the ICJ, and other measures.

Welcoming the decision of the ICJ, the NHRC considers it an essential step following the ICJ’s first decision of 23 July 2018 to redress victims, and further evidence of the legal movements of the State of Qatar and that recourse to international means and mechanisms is not an escalation, but a legitimate right guaranteed by international conventions to achieve justice and ensure redress and compensation to the victims.

The ICJ’s important decision also refutes the UAE’s allegations against the National Human Rights Committee and attempts by Emirati officials to question its credibility.
The National Human Rights Committee believes that the UAE’s policy of escaping forward to cover up its crimes and violations against the Qatari people and the Gulf peoples would be fruitless and will not prevent pursing accountability and international condemnation.

In conclusion, the NHRC congratulates the victims of the blockade and human rights organizations for the second victory in the judicial process initiated by the State of Qatar, to end all kinds of violations resulting from the blockade and to redress those affected.

11 Shawwal 1440
14 June 2019
Doha, Qatar

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An international coalition of human rights organizations ensure that the suffering of the victims of the continued blockade are effectively heard

4234 Complaints by citizens and residents against violations of the blockade within two years

2234 complaints against Saudi Arabia, 1126 against the UAE, 527 against Bahrain, and 338 against Egypt

50 visits by chairman of the National Human Rights Committee to the United States and European countries to expose the violations resulting from the blockade

Addressing about 500 human rights bodies and international and regional governmental and non-governmental organizations

The National Human Rights Committee discusses with some specialized international centers assessment of the psychological damage caused to those affected by the blockade, especially women and children, in order to raise an integrated file for judicial and human rights bodies

A positive development in the positions of European and US officials on the humanitarian tragedy left behind by the blockade

live testimony of the victims of the blockade in key international fora, such as the European Parliament and a number of international parliaments, the Human Rights Council in Geneva, international centers, international human rights organizations, and the Human Rights Council in Geneva

We will endeavor to prosecute the countries of the blockade and compensate the victims once the files are complete and documented

Pressure to compel the blockading states to stop their discriminatory violations and punitive measures

Imposing the tragic repercussions of the blockade on the agendas of meetings of international organizations, parliaments and governments of states

We will spare no effort to redress all those affected by one of the harshest forms of blockade imposed on peoples

The National Human Rights Committee’s actions succeeded in gaining international sympathy for the victims

The international community has realized the reality of the grave human rights violations caused by the blockading states

The National Human Rights Committee provided, for the first time, a platform for victims in the European Parliament to recount their suffering

External visits conveyed a real picture of the reality of the blockade and the suffering of the victims to the world

The hearing of the victims of the blockade in the European Parliament awakened the conscience of the world public opinion, which was shocked by the violations

Desperate attempts to discredit the credibility of the NHRC will not deter us from fulfilling our commitment to bring justice for the victims

Desperate attempts by the blockading states to distort the image of the National Human Rights Committee

Doha, May 29, 2019

Dr. Ali bin Sumikh Al Marri, Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee, affirmed that the National Committee will not deter under any circumstances or desperate attempts to question its credibility by the blockading states, to fulfill its commitment to defend the rights of victims through all human rights platforms, pointing out that the National Human rights Committee will spare no effort to bring justice to all those affected by one of the most severe and harshest forms of blockade imposed on peoples. Dr. Al Marri revealed that the National Committee intends to discuss with delegations and international organizations, the possibility to take a series of new mechanisms and procedures, in the context of legal and human rights movements, and obliged to stop its punitive and discriminatory measures against citizens and residents in the State of Qatar, such as the formation of an international coalition to defend the rights of The victims, enabling them to present their testimonies in the most important international forums, to expose the violations of the blockading states.

two years of facing violations

During a meeting with Qatari media leaders, Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri gave a briefing on the efforts and movements of the National Committee internally and externally to face the unjust blockade, the gains achieved and the vision of the Committee.
Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri revealed the latest statistics on the complaints that continue to reach the National Committee by Qatari citizens and residents, about the continued violations by the blockading countries, especially the United Arab Emirates, despite the issuance of judicial decisions by the International Court of Justice. Al Marri also pointed out that Saudi Arabia continues to politicize religious rituals and procrastinate in allowing citizens and residents of Qatar to perform the Hajj and Umrah rituals by declaring insufficient deceptive measures that do not eliminate obstacles to the right to practice religious rites.

4234 Complaints by citizens and residents against the blockading states within two years

According to the figures, Dr. Ali Bin Smaikh pointed out that the National Human Rights Committee has received 4,234 complaints filed by citizens and residents in the State of Qatar since the beginning of the blockade on June 5, including 3381 submitted by Qatari citizens and 853 complaints by residents of various nationalities. During the two years of the blockade, the National Committee received 2,234 complaints against Saudi Arabia, 1,126 complaints against the United Arab Emirates, 527 complaints against the Kingdom of Bahrain, 338 complaints against Egypt, and 9 complaints against different countries.

Complaints filed during the two-year blockade included 1,317 complaints of violations of the right to movement, 1,298 violations of the right to property, 661 complaints of violations of the right to family reunification, 525 violations of the right to education, 172 cases of violation of the right to practice religious rites, and 112 complaints related to Violations of the right to work, 94 complaints on violations of the right to residence, 38 complaints on violations of the right to health, 12 complaints of violations on the right to obtain official documents, 3 complaints of enforced disappearance, one complaint about arbitrary arrest and detention, and one complaint relating to Degrading treatment.

In the context of the efforts of the National Human Rights Committee and its movements at the domestic and international level to face the blockade, Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri stressed that the National Human Rights Committee, during the two years of the blockade has made 50 visits to European countries besides the United States, during which Dr. Al Marri met with several human rights officials at the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, parliamentarians and officials of human rights organizations, as well as His Holiness Pope Frances. The National Committee also addressed more than 500 human rights organizations and international and regional governmental and non-governmental organizations, urging them to take urgent action to address the repercussions of the humanitarian crisis caused by the blockade.

The NHRC also held two international conferences and issued 8 reports and 32 statements on the blockade. On the other hand, human rights organizations, trade unions and international bodies issued 16 reports and statements condemning the blockade. 35 international delegations of international personalities, organizations and bodies visited the headquarters of the National Human Rights Committee to investigate the repercussions of the blockade.

During his visits, the chairman of the National Commission held several meetings in various international forums, with international human rights organizations, and human rights offices in foreign ministries of a number of European and Western countries, in addition to a series of meetings and hearings in the European Parliament and a number of parliaments of the world. International movement in support of the position of the State of Qatar in many influential countries. Fifteen members of the British Parliament also called on their government to discuss Qatar’s blockade in the House of Commons.

Dr. Al-Marri pointed out that the National Human Rights Committee held a series of meetings and hearings in major international parliaments, where he met with representatives of the Senate and House of Representatives of the US Congress, and made a hearing before the European Parliament in the Belgian capital of Brussels, followed by a hearing by representatives of the victims of the blockade before deputies of the European Parliament .

Internally, the National Human Rights Committee received many delegations and personalities from Britain, Canada, the United States of America, Italy, France and other countries, as well as delegations of regional and international human rights organizations, most notably Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, as well as a delegation from the Office of the High Commissioner. At the invitation of the National Human Rights Committee, Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri met with a delegation from the OHCHR Technical Mission to collect information on the impact of the blockade on the human rights of citizens and residents of the State of Qatar and GCC citizens.

In addition to the organizations and personalities who visited Qatar to monitor the violations of the blockade, the National Human Rights Committee has succeeded in holding a number of international conferences since the first days of the blockade, despite the pressure exerted by the governments of the blockading countries to try to dissuade International organizations and personalities about attending international conferences organized by the National Human Rights Committee.
Al Marri commended the success of the International Conference on “National, Regional and International Mechanisms to Combat Impunity and Ensure Accountability under International Law”, organized by the National Human Rights Committee, in partnership with the European Parliament, OHCHR and the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, on 14 April 15, under the patronage and presence of HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior. More than 250 bodies, international organizations and human rights and legal organizations participated in the conference, which discussed more than 20 working papers in plenary sessions, workshops and working groups.
Al Marri also praised the success of the international conference held by the National Committee entitled “Freedom of Expression: face up to the threat”, a month and a half after the start of the blockade, attended by about 500 regional and international organizations, to discuss freedom of expression, despite the attempts of the blockading countries to pressure them to prevent them From attending the conference. The conference concluded with the issuance of recommendations, which included a strong condemnation of the blockade, in particular the rejection of the demand to close Al-Jazeera. The conference played a major role in the retreat of the blockade countries from demanding the closure of Al Jazeera, after a wave of condemnation and international solidarity with Al Jazeera, and the various media affiliated with Qatar.

Desperate attempts to undermine the credibility of the National Committee

the chairman of the National Human Rights Committee said that the blockading states are in a big legal dilemma, following the exposure of their serious human rights violations, which was reflected in the statements of a number of politicians and prominent figures in the blockading countries. , pointing out that “the National Human Rights Committee has international credibility, and support 110 institutions for Human Rights in the Global Alliance for national human rights institutions”

Future steps and moves to face the blockade

Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri pointed out that the committee’s agenda includes many steps on the mechanisms and procedures that will be taken in the future. Human Rights in Geneva, International Centers, International Human Rights Organizations and the Human Rights Council in Geneva; stressing that the National Committee will discuss with delegations and international organizations that have visited the State of Qatar since the beginning of the blockade the idea of ​​forming an international coalition to hear the voices of those affected by the blockade.

Al Marri pointed out that the National Committee is discussing with some specialized international centers to assess the psychological damage to those affected by the blockade, especially women and children, in order to raise an integrated file for the judicial and human rights bodies. The National Committee also seeks to issue a book that compiles all the reports of international organizations, documents victims’ testimonies in multiple languages, and distributes them to various international organizations, and in various important international events. The NHEC also plans to organize an international exhibition documenting violations of the blockade countries, and testimony of victims across a number of capitals of the world.

Al Marri pointed out that the National Committee is continuing to intensify its series of international visits and meetings with the most prominent personalities and international organizations, to hear the voices of victims in various international platforms, and expose stressed that the National Committee continues to support all legal movements of the State of Qatar and international organizations, and to provide all the data, documents and consultations necessary to condemn the violations of the blockade countries, and redress for the victims, stressing that The National Committee will continue to raise the issue of the politicization of religious rituals (Hajj and Umrah) in all international agendas and forums, especially UNESCO.

During the next phase, the National Human Rights Committee will focus on the judicial process, and will intensify its efforts in the prosecution of the blockade countries, redress and provide compensation for victims, after the completion of the files and documentation. Al Marri stressed the commitment of the National Committee to defend the rights of victims who lost their property after being expelled from the UAE and Saudi Arabia, without allowing them to recover their property so far, and suffered heavy losses. Al Marri concluded by saying that the National Committee will continue to monitor hate speech and incitement in the blockade countries, especially those issued by senior officials and media channels in those countries.

The workshop comes to activate the memorandum of understanding between the Qatari and Filipino NHRIs to promote and protect human rights

Doha: Tuesday 28 May 2019

Dr. Mohammed bin Saif Al-Kuwari, Vice-chairman of the National Human Rights Committee, stressed that the State of Qatar has sought for decades to enact national laws aimed at providing the necessary guarantees to safeguard the dignity of expatriates in general and workers in particular through a set of policies that affirm their rights and clarify their duties. This came during a workshop organized by the National Human Rights Committee for the Filipino community in cooperation with the Human Rights Commission of the Philippines, on “Rights and Duties of Workers in the State of Qatar”, during the period from 27 and 28 May 2019; in the context of the MoU signed Between the National Human Rights Committee of the State of Qatar and the Human Rights Commission of the Philippines on 09 January 2019.

In his opening speech, Dr. Mohammed bin Saif Al-Kuwari said that the workshop sheds light on the most important rights and duties related to the communities by focusing on many international and national laws and comparing them with the situation of these communities in order to come up with the necessary findings and recommendations. Al Kuwari noted that Qatar has given special importance to the issues of identity, culture, and other issues, which are presented within the framework of strong policy-making aimed at integrating communities into the social and economic renaissance of Qatar.

The Vice- chairman of the National Human Rights Committee pointed out that “human societies in the world have been formed throughout history, accompanied by many sacrifices, wars and conflicts in which laws were absent, rights were silent, and the logic of power was dominant; the State is obliged by virtue of its international obligations and adherence to international human rights covenants and conventions to ensure that any individual lives on its territory with dignity whatever his or her religion, Race, color, sex, or nationality.
For her part, Ms. Hivent Pimentel, Commissioner of the Philippine Human Rights Commission, said that the workshop was part of a cooperation between the two sides in order to promote and protect human rights in general and workers in particular. “We hope that we will be able to draw a road map and recommendations through this workshop to strengthen the implementation of the terms of the cooperation agreement which is based on a mandate to consider all human rights issues,” she added.