Doha: 21 October 2019

The National Human Rights Committee (NCHR) received a delegation from Qatar-France Friendship Society. The Vice-Chairpman of the Committee welcomed the French delegation.

The meeting dealt with a number of human rights issues, including the efforts of the National Human Rights Committee to protect and promote workers’ rights. The Committee officials also responded to the delegation’s inquiries about the role of the committee in spreading the culture of human rights in the country. It was reported that the Committee had a five-year strategic plan, which included the organization of lectures and programs targeting workers and employers in a number of places where workers were present. The Committee officials also pointed out that as part of its awareness-raising and educational mission, the Committee distributes brochures and booklets, which contains information on rights and duties of workers translated into 10 languages. In addition, the delegation was briefed on the committee’s offices which were set up to facilitate the handling of complaints, besides a 24-hour hotline and the role of the Reception and Registration Department of the Legal Affairs Department, which provides free legal advice as well as receiving complaints and petitions.

Dr. Al-Kuwari: Any imbalances affecting the elderly group may disrupt the whole life system

Al Khalifa: The celebration expresses solidarity towards further work to improve the services provided to the elderly

Doha: 1 October 2019

On the occasion of the International Day of Older Persons, the National Human Rights Committee and the Center for Elderly Empowerment and care of the Elderly (Ihsan) organized a seminar on the rights of the elderly in the State of Qatar.

In his opening speech, Dr. Mohammed bin Saif Al-Kuwari, Vice-Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee, praised the approval by the State leadership on August 16, 2019, of the Council of Ministers Resolution No. 26 of 2019 establishing the National Committee on Women, Children, the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities. Al-Kuwari said: “We, the National Human Rights Committee consider this decision as an extension of the promotion of the rights of the most vulnerable groups, including the elderly, describing the decision as an important and positive indicator for the protection and protection of human rights in general. Al Kuwari said: we commend this decision, and emphasize the need to expedite its activation and turning it into reality to support the human rights march in the State of Qatar

Al-Kuwari added: “Our sensitivity to the social importance, religious awareness and tradition that we have inherited from generation to generation, along with international recognition of the value of the elderly, make us face great challenges in fulfilling our obligations towards the elderly, pointing out that attention to the elderly comes within the framework of maintaining the social structure, stressing at the same time that any imbalances affecting the category of older people would disturb the entire system of life.”

In the context of the human rights achievements of the State of Qatar in protecting the rights of the elderly, Al-Kuwari addressed the prominent role played by the Center for Empowerment and care of the Elderly (Ihsan) and said: There are great services provided by the Center and high-level service programs to the elderly. “We commend the growing role played by Ihsan in the process of promoting recognition of the role of older people and their contribution to the development of society; we should not fail to mention some of the challenges faced by the Center,” Al Kuwari added.

For his part, Mr. Mubarak bin Abdul Aziz Al Khalifa, Executive Director of the Center for Empowerment and care of the Elderly, Ihsan and NHRC, through this seminar, Monitor the human rights situation of the elderly in the State of Qatar with the aim to enhance the opportunities to realise the rights to serve the elderly, in the light of the second National Development Strategy ( 2018 – 2022).
Al-Khalifa described the efforts made by the Ihsan Center in empowering and caring for the elderly as it meets among the lofty goals and objectives that keep pace with the ethics and religious teachings. He said: These goals make us confident – God willing – of the success of our projects and events, and stressed that the seminar succeeded in shedding light on the human rights situation of the elderly in the Qatari society, and promote the opportunities of the rights of the elderly and enable them to live a social welfare.

Al Kuwari added: We celebrate the International Day of Older Persons and = express our solidarity with more work and strive to improve the services provided to the elderly in the State and their participation, pointing out that the celebration of the International Day of Older Persons began in 1991 as a kind of global solidarity towards highlighting the issues of the elderly, and promoting their social rights. Al Kuwari explained that the seminar aimed to raise awareness of the rights of the elderly and their needs and discuss issues related to their rights with specialists. It also addresses the role of Ihsan Center to achieve community partnership with the bodies of common competence, including the National Human Rights Committee to highlight the human rights situation of the eldery.

The seminar included many working papers in two working sessions, the first session entitled “The rights of the elderly in the Qatari society”, during which Mrs. Ghada Al-Subaie and Ms. Asma Al-Hajjaji from the Qatar Foundation for Social Work presented a working paper entitled (Demographic Transformation in Qatari Society). Ms. Rania Fouad, legal expert at the National Human Rights Committee presented a working paper entitled (Rights of the elderly under international human rights norms and conventions and their preservation within the family and society). In the second working session, which was opened by Mr. Nayef Al-Shammari, Legal Researcher at the National Human Rights Committee, Ms. Najla Al-Khulaifi and Ms. Munira Al-Sada from the Statistics and Planning Authority presented a working paper entitled (Rights of Older Persons in the Second National Development Strategy for Qatar 2018-2022). ). Dr. Hanadi Al-Hamad from the Ministry of Health also presented a working paper entitled (Rights of the elderly in the second national health strategy (2018-2022).

It is worth mentioning that the Center for Empowerment and care of the Elderly, one of the centers under the umbrella of the Qatar Foundation for Social Action has launched an awareness campaign and several events in conjunction with the International Day of Older Persons under the title (their presence is different), with the aim to recognize contributions and achievements In response to the UN call to celebrate the International Day of Older Persons on the first of October each year. the activities of the Ihsan Center also include an educational video presentation in an interesting and entertaining way targeting children in order to train them on the skills of dealing with the elderly. The Center issued the fifth edition of the series Ihsan Awareness series entitled stories and tales include skills to deal with the elderly, which will be distributed to institutions, bodies and the general public in order to provide the reader with skills to deal with the elderly. The center also produced USB flash drivers that include materials about the role of the elderly in the family with the aim of educating the public about the importance of caring for the elderly in its surroundings and emphasizing the importance of the role of the elderly in his family.

National human rights institutions are part of non-judicial remedies

National institutions have an important role to play in providing non-discriminatory remedies

Geneva: 10 October 2019

Sultan bin Hassan Al-Jamali, Assistant Secretary-General of the National Human Rights Committee stressed that NHRIs perform many functions besides receiving complaints, they make proactive efforts, including monitoring human rights violations in the “state” where business enterprises are believed to commit or involved in, as well as monitoring the performance of the government and business enterprises each in the field of its responsibilities, as well as identifying the impact of investment agreements, corporate law and securities regulation on human rights policies, and other related issues such as labor laws, environmental protection and others. Al Jamali added that NHRIs that comply with the Paris Principles play an important role in assisting States to determine whether relevant laws are in line with their human rights obligations and whether they are effectively implemented, as well as in providing guidance on human rights to business enterprises.

Addressing Role of National Human Rights Institutions in Facilitating Access to Remedies for business-related human rights violations, organized by the Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises from 10 to 11 October at the Palais des Nations, Al-Jamali emphasized the role of NHRIs in ensuring effective remedies in a non-discriminatory manner and provide formal public reports, with particular attention to the rights and needs of individuals belonging to groups or population that that might be doubly vulnerable, such as workers, women and children, whether business enterprises are national or transnational, and regardless of their size, sector, location, ownership and structure, pointing out that The independence of NHRIs and their access to the necessary resources is essential for making “business and human rights” part of the global movement in the application of the Guiding Principles in the country concerned.

Al-Jamali reviewed the experience of the National Human Rights Committee in the State of Qatar, pointing out that we have considered the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and have ensured that the Committee:

Legitimate: A law has been issued clarifying its terms of reference and financing. The practical exercise reflects the fair conduct of grievance processes; where the law establishing the committee includes among its competences considering human rights violations, addressing complaints received and coordinating with the competent authorities to take the necessary action and propose ways to address them and prevent their recurrence. As a permanent and structured mechanism for receiving and dealing with citizens and residents’ complaints, the committee created a 24/7 hotline to receive complaints in several languages. In addition to receiving the complainants at the committee’s headquarters and providing free legal advice and opening files to document and deal with cases, the committee concluded an agreement with a group of 30 lawyers to provide free consultations and legal representation before the competent court for labor cases; Accessible: known to all stakeholder groups and providing adequate assistance for those who may face particular barriers to access. the Committee has launched offices for the African, Indian, Pakistani, Indonesian and Nepalese communities to enable further access; Predictable: providing a clear and known procedure with an indicative timeframe for each stage. It would take one week to take action with regard to a complaint, and as for follow-upping with government bodies, it would not take more than one month; Equitable: seeking to ensure that aggrieved parties have reasonable access to sources of information, advice and expertise necessary to engage in a grievance process on fair, informed and respectful terms, by means of qualified staff and experts providing legal advice as well as lawyers to contribute to raising grievances to judicial mechanisms; Transparent: The NHRC keeps parties to a grievance informed about its progress and providing sufficient information about the mechanism’s performance and other remedies available; Rights-compatible: The NHRC ensure that outcomes and remedies accord with internationally recognized human rights; and Based on engagement and dialogue: the NHRC consulting the stakeholder groups on human rights issues, such as bills, procedures and practices, as well as challenges and opportunities to address and resolve grievances.

Al Jamali concluded that The NHRC has maintained close cooperation with civil society through a number of memorandums of understanding to guarantee unified visions on human rights issues, exchange information, raise capacity, collaborate to solve the problems of those affected, and discuss situations to consider how assistance might best be provided.

Doha: 6 September 2019

The National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) received at its headquarters a delegation of senior members of the US Congress. The delegation was received by Vice-Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), Dr. Mohammed Saif Al Kuwari, along with a number of directors and legal experts. The meeting dealt with a number of human rights issues, including the efforts of the NHRC to protect the workers’ rights, and cooperation with United Nations bodies, international and civil society organizations. The delegation inquired about the the composition of the committee, which is made up of 13 members, 9 of whom were representatives of civil society and 4 representing government ministries who cannot vote in decisions taken by members. The Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Committee shall be selected among the members representing civil society. The delegation inquired about the role of the Committee in spreading the culture of human rights, and the NHRC officials stated that The Committee has a five-year strategic plan which includes organizing lectures, campaigns and programs targeting workers and employers, they are organized in a number of places where workers are present. The delegation was briefed also about the community offices launched in the Committee to facilitate the processing of complaints and 24/7 hotline, and the role played by the reception and registration section of the Department of Legal Affairs, which provides free legal advice to received complaints.

– Al Marri calls on the High Commissioner to send a technical mission to the blockading states to investigate the repercussions of their violations of the rights of citizens and residents of Qatar

– The NHRC will issue a report on the UAE failure to implement the order of the International Court of Justice and a report on the continuation of Saudi violations against citizens and residents in Qatar soon

– Reports will be sent to all relevant regional and international organizations and bodies

– The blockading states continue to ignore all international reports and calls, as well as the decisions of the international judicial bodies to stop discriminatory measures.

– The blockading states issue false reports in an attempt to evade their responsibilities for the human rights violations resulting from the blockade

– The blockading states should recognize their violations and open their doors to the mission of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to investigate the repercussions of the crisis on the citizens and residents of Qatar and citizens of the blockading countries

Geneva, September 17, 2019

Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri, Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee, called on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, to visit Qatar and the countries of the blockade to find out the repercussions of the violations resulting from the blockade of Qatar. The blockade states to investigate the effects of the crisis, especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which continue to be intransigent, and attempt to mislead public opinion, and deny their violations of the rights of citizens and residents of Qatar.

Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri confirmed that the NHRC will issue a report on the UAE’s failure to implement the International Court of Justice’s order for the second year, as well as another report on the continuation of Saudi violations against citizens and residents in Qatar, and the reports will be sent to all relevant regional and international organizations and bodies.
This came on the occasion of a series of meetings held by HE Dr. Al Marri in Geneva, with HE Michel Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, HE Ambassador Cole Sick, President of the Human Rights Council, and HE Walter Stevens, Head of the European Mission in Geneva .

During his discussions with the three officials, Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al Marri gave a briefing on the repercussions of the crisis of the blockade of Qatar, in its third year, and all legal and quasi-judicial efforts and measures taken by the National Human Rights Committee to defend the rights of victims and redress them.

Al Marri also commended the efforts made by international human rights organizations to expose the violations of the blockading states, particularly the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the orders of the International Criminal Court, the Civil Aviation Organization and the World Trade Organization, which condemned the discriminatory actions of the blockading states, leading to the decision of the committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. In response to officials ‘inquiries about developments in the Gulf crisis, Dr. Al Marri stressed that “the humanitarian crisis has worsened, and there are no indications on the horizon of the siege states’ readiness to stop the suffering of citizens and residents in Qatar and the Gulf countries, especially victims of family dispersal. Dr. Al Marri stressed that the blockading states continue to ignore all international reports and calls, as well as the decisions of the international judicial bodies to stop the discriminatory measures in a flagrant violation of international laws and covenants.

In his meeting with HE Mrs. Michelle Bachelet, HE Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri praised the efforts of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights since the beginning of the blockade crisis and the various reports condemning the violations against citizens and residents of Qatar, noting that despite all these international reports and calls, the blockading states continue to ignore them and deliberately issue false reports to evade their responsibilities for violations of human rights, such as the statement issued by the Saudi authorities to mislead public opinion rather than respecting the resolutions of international bodies and opening their doors to the mission of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to investigate the repercussions of the crisis on citizens and residents of Qatar and citizens of the blockading countries who have been affected by violations of their fundamental rights, in particular the right to movement, residence, property, Treatment, education, and performance of religious rituals (Hajj and Umrah); leading to continued forced arbitrary arrests and detention of Qatari citizens by the Saudi authorities.

On the other hand, Al Marri appreciated the cooperation between the National Human Rights Committee and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, calling for building on the achievements and successes achieved in the past period, especially the success of the international conference organized by the Committee in cooperation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the European Parliament to combat impunity. Dr. Al-Marri discussed with Ms. Michelle Bachelet the establishment of a mechanism between the National Human Rights Committee, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the European Parliament to implement the recommendations of the first conference of its kind in the Middle East. At the end of the meeting, Dr. Al Marri invited the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit the State of Qatar and the region to investigate the repercussions of the blockade imposed on Qatar, and called on dispatching a technical mission to the blockading states to investigate the impact of the crisis, especially to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which continue to deny its violations and try to mislead the world opinion and falsify the facts.

– UNWGEID extended Official Speech to Saudi Arabia on Continued Arrests of Qatari Nationals

– Saudi Arabia’s intransigence and continued arbitrary arrests refutes its claims to welcome Qataris and residents

– Continued violations confirm that Saudi Arabia is unsafe for Qatari citizens

– Riyadh obstructs and prevents the entry of Qataris to KSA .. a very few were allowed to enter under certain security exceptions, and most of them were arrested later

– Submit a documented file of the names and details of the suffering of Qataris forcibly and arbitrarily detained to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the Working Groups on Enforced Disappearance and Arbitrary Detention

– Al-Marri briefed officials of UNWGEID on the health status of some of the detainees

– Saudi authorities continue to detain Qatari nationals without legal justification

Geneva: Tuesday 17 September 2019

Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri, Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee, revealed that representatives of the families of arbitrarily detained Qatari nationals and victims of enforced disappearance in Saudi Arabia will soon testify before the European Parliament, the Human Rights Council and relevant international bodies.

Dr. Al Marri stressed that the NHRC will submit comprehensive and documented files to the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (UNWGEID), on the continuation of Saudi violations that have affected even the few Qatari citizens who were allowed to enter Saudi Arabia with security clearances before being arrested. Al Marri pointed out that the UN working group had sent an official letter to Saudi Arabia because of its continued arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearance of Qatari citizens.

Informing the UN working group of the health status of arbitrarily detained Qataris

This came during a meeting with Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri with the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances on the occasion of his visit to Geneva. During the meeting, Dr. Ali bin Smaikh briefed the latest developments of the blockade crisis and the humanitarian repercussions of Saudi Arabia’s continued violations of the rights of citizens and residents of Qatar resulting from the blockade since 5 June 2017.
Al-Marri appreciated the interaction of the Working Group on Enforced Disappearance and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention with the letters of the National Human Rights Committee, where they addressed letters to Saudi Arabia, demanding that it immediately stop its violations, disclose the whereabouts of detained Qataris in Saudi Arabia, and release them. Al Marri also briefed officials on the health situation of some detainees arbitrarily.

Riyadh reverted to its arbitrary approach

Dr. Al-Marri made an urgent appeal to the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, calling for concrete and strong steps to end the continuing Saudi violations against Qatari citizens, as Saudi authorities continue to detain Qatari nationals without legal justification. “After the release of Qatari nationals in recent months, we expected the Saudi authorities to stop its serious human rights violations, but we were shocked that KSA reverted to its arbitrary approach and detention of Qatari citizens who were victims of enforced disappearance and arbitrary detention, without any legal explanations or justification for their detention. Riyadh obstructs and prevents the entry of Qataris to KSA; a very few were allowed to enter under certain security exceptions, and most of them were arrested later, without revealing their whereabouts so far.
Al Marri continued: “We at the National Human Rights Committee continue to defend the victims of Saudi violations, and we are in contact with the families of the Qatari families who have been subjected to arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance, and we will spare no effort to hold them fully responsible for the safety of Those Qatari nationals who are supposed to have entered Saudi territory with security clearances, including citizens with properties in Saudi territory.
Dr. Al Marri added: “These arrests unequivocally prove that the Saudi authorities have continued their repressive practices against Qatari citizens, especially against the mixed families of the citizens of both countries, which increases the suffering of those families. ”

Continued arrests refute false Saudi allegations

The continued violations by the Saudi authorities, including arbitrary arrests and forced detention of Qatari nationals, refute all the false allegations and news spread by Saudi officials and the Saudi media, and their allegations that Qatari citizens are welcomed in the Kingdom. It proves once again the fears of Qatari citizens to enter Saudi Arabia, whether to perform Hajj and Umrah.

September 14, 2019

A delegation of senior researchers and politicians representing a number of political and intellectual research centers in the United States visited the headquarters of the National Human Rights Committee and was received by Dr. Mohammed bin Saif Al-Kuwari, Vice-Chairman of the Committee and Mr. Sultan bin Hassan Al-Jamali, Assistant Secretary General along with the directors of the Committee’s departments.

The delegation’s visit was aimed at encouraging national human rights institutions, NGOs and community-based organizations and provide support and assistance to people whose rights may be violated. The meeting discussed with the delegation of senior researchers and politicians the role of the press and media in providing support to most vulnerable groups, including workers, as well as the role of the National Human Rights Committee in spreading the culture of human rights and methods of work in receiving complaints and facilities provided by the Committee to complainants, through direct attendance To the Committee’s headquarters, through the community offices established by the Committee at its headquarters, or via the hotlines or the official website of the Committee, as well as its role in addressing human rights violations resulting from the blockade.

At a time when the National Human Rights Committee and international organizations were hoping that the Saudi authorities would resolve the humanitarian crisis, lift the violations and compensate the victims of the blockade, the Saudi authorities issued a statement broadcasted by the Saudi press agency on September 7, 2019, to mislead public opinion and provide pretexts to justify violations, unilateral sanctions and arbitrary measures, and claim that they have addressed the violations resulting from the blockade.

The Saudi authorities are once again making an unsuccessful attempt to deceive public opinion and the international community by giving misleading statistics and figures to cover up their violations against citizens and residents of the State of Qatar.

Using policies to conceal the facts will not benefit the Saudi authorities and will not protect them from condemnations and demands to compensate the victims and to stop violating their rights.

Since the beginning of the blockade, the National Human Rights Committee has addressed the relevant human rights bodies in Saudi Arabia with the aim to eliminate the damages affecting the rights of the victims and preventing them from obtaining justice.

However, the NHRC has not received any response. Furthermore, the Saudi authorities did not allow the technical mission of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit the Saudi Arabia in November 2017 to evaluate the impact of the measures taken on human rights. In addition, there has been no response from the Saudi authorities to the communications addressed to Saudi Arabia from the UN special rapporteurs and international organizations.

Moreover, the report submitted by the Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights to the 42nd session of the Human Rights Council held from 9 to 27 September 2019, affirmed in paragraph 38 that “The restrictive measures imposed by various Gulf countries on Qatar remain in force.”

The unilateral measures and sanctions imposed on the State of Qatar constitute a full-fledged blockade against citizens and residents of the State of Qatar, which in turn constitutes a flagrant violation of all international human rights conventions and norms, and this cannot be justified under any pretext, according to the international reports. The majority of violations by the Saudi authorities are documented by the United Nations bodies, international organisations and some specialized international institutions.

From this perspective, The National Human Rights Committee affirms that it shall continue to provide these organisations with all the required data and documents. On the other hand, the Saudi authorities should take the following actions, if their claims are founded:

First:
to allow the UN-OHCHR technical mission to visit Saudi Arabia to evaluate the impact of violations resulting from coercive measures taken.

Second:
to approve the establishment of a fact-finding committee by the Human Rights Council to visit Saudi Arabia to establish the facts and circumstances surrounding the human rights violations resulting from the blockade.

Third:
to recognize the competence of the International Court of Justice in accordance with article 22 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination to consider its claims that there are no human rights violations resulting from the blockade.

From this rostrum, The NHRC notes that respect for human rights should begin with the recognition of the role of international protection and accountability mechanisms, rather than simply claiming through statements to decisive and mislead international opinion.

Sunday, 9 Moharram 1441
8th September ‘2019
Doha, Qatar

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We are concerned about the blockade and forced disappearance of Qatari citizens

The Gulf peoples are subjected to arrests solely for their sympathy for the State of Qatar

Forcibly disappeared people are at increased risk of abuses that amount to murder

The celebration of the International Day must be a human rights demonstration to hold those involved in forced disappearance to account

Doha: 30 August 2019

Dr. Mohammed bin Saif Al-Kuwari, Vice-President of the National Human Rights Committee, said that the practice of enforced disappearance constitutes a crime against humanity as defined in international law and that no exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or the threat of war, internal political instability or any other situation may be invoked as reason to justify enforced disappearance.

Al-Kuwari said in a press statement on the occasion of the International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearance: “The international community in the Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance has resolved to prevent enforced disappearances and combat impunity for the perpetrators of enforced disappearance. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt imposed an unjust blockade on the State of Qatar and its citizens and residents on its territory, pointing out that many citizens in the Gulf region have become targets to enforced disappearance, especially human rights activists and many of them have retained their views for fear of being subjected to enforced disappearance or arbitrary detention, especially under the law enacted by the blockading countries, which criminalize expressing sympathy With the State of Qatar. Al Kuwari pointed out that about two weeks ago, the National Human Rights Committee in the State of Qatar has received confirmed information from reliable sources regarding the enforced disappearance of Qatari national Ali Nasser Ali Jarallah, aged 70, and his son Abdul Hadi, aged 17, in Saudi Arabia. who entered Saudi Arabia under a family permit on Thursday, 15 August 2019.
According to information received by the National Human Rights committee, they were forcibly disappeared on Sunday, August 18, 2019, at 1:00 pm, in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, where they were arrested by the Saudi authorities and hidden to an unknown location.
Al-Kuwari added: The blockading countries have always fabricated false pretexts to detain Qatari citizens in violation of all international conventions, instruments and norms of human rights, pointing out that reports from international organizations indicate that victims of enforced disappearance include all races, including children, but the vast majority are men, and that disappeared persons are at high risk of torture because they are absolutely isolated from the protection of the law, without any possibility of obtaining legal defense; they are also at increased risk of other human rights violations amounting to murder.

Al-Kuwari noted that the preamble to the Convention for the Protection of Persons from Enforced Disappearance took into account the right of everyone not to be subjected to enforced disappearance, the right of victims to justice and compensation, and the right of every victim to know the truth about the circumstances of enforced disappearance and to know the fate of the disappeared person, as well as his or her right. Freedom to collect, receive and disseminate information to this end. It called on all States parties to take appropriate measures to investigate the protection of persons from being subjected to enforced disappearances by persons or groups of individuals and to bring to justice those responsible for such violations. In addition, measures should be taken to make enforced disappearance a crime in its criminal law. Noting that on 14 and 15 April 2019, the National Human Rights Committee organized the International Conference on National, Regional and International Mechanisms to Combat Impunity and Ensure Accountability under International Law, in cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the European Parliament and the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, Its main objective was to develop a real and practical vision by a range of international policymakers and experts to seriously and effectively hold perpetrators of abuses around the world accountable for impunity, pointing out that the recommendations of the conference were a real beginning of a long path towards achieving the rule of law and impunity, and a strong start with hope for finding practical solutions to redress victims and reparations.

“The international community has been keen to protect people from enforced disappearance through an integrated international convention, but there are still those who are trying to evade international law in flagrant violation of human rights,” Al Kuwari said. This event should be an occasion to remind all States of their international obligations in this regard. In the 1992 Declaration of the Victims of Enforced Disappearance, the UN General Assembly affirmed that it was necessary to prevent enforced disappearances; to ensure strict adherence to a set of principles relating to the protection of the rights of persons subjected to any form of detention or imprisonment and to the principles of effective prevention and investigation of executions. Al Kuwari said: “We demand, as stated in the Declaration, that accurate information be provided on the detention of Qatari citizens, and that such information be made available to the families of the victims, their lawyers or any other person with a legitimate interest in receiving this information. We also call on the occasion of the International Day for the Victims of Enforced Disappearance to provide appropriate compensation to the victims of these cases, Qatari citizens and their families, including the means to ensure their full rehabilitation.

The National Human Rights Committee welcomes the decision of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) in Geneva to declare the admissibility of the two complaints filed by the State of Qatar against the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia about the discriminatory measures imposed on Qatari citizens since June 2017, and the continuing grave violations of the rights of citizens and residents of Qatar. These complaints were submitted in accordance with Articles (11), (12) and (13) of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination adopted in 1965.

Expressing its utmost satisfaction with this decision, the National Human Rights Committee considers this decision an important step towards the recognition by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination that violations against citizens and residents of the State of Qatar fall within the scope of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. Additionally, the decision proves beyond any doubt that the violations and collective punishments imposed by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia constitute a criminal offence pursuant to the Convention.

This historic decision come to refute allegations, media misconceptions and statements of officials of those countries. The decision is also considered a preliminary victory for the victims, preceding the forthcoming CERD’s decision to condemn the discriminatory measures that the UAE and Saudi Arabia have continued to practice against citizens and residents of Qatar.

The National Human Rights Committee considers the decision to declare the admissibility of the complaints in terms of form as an important achievement, as well as a step towards redressing and compensating the victims for violations and damages resulting from the unjust blockade.

The National Human Rights Committee stresses that, despite all global efforts to combat racial discrimination, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia continue to be intransigent and defy international laws and conventions by taking punitive measures that constitute offences of racial discrimination against citizens and residents of Qatar. Indeed, such practices have become an established approach to their policy and international relations.

The decision by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is considered a strong indictment, that has joined previous indictments against the United Arab Emirates, such as the report of the OHCHR technical mission to the state of Qatar issued in December 2017, the order of the International Court of Justice of 23 July 2018 on the request for the indication of provisional measures, European Parliament resolutions, and the reports of both international organizations and the National Human Rights Committee of the State of Qatar.

The National Human Rights Committee looks forward to a decision by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in the coming months, to condemn definitively and decisively the discriminatory and racist actions taken by these states against citizens and residents of Qatar.

The National Human Rights Committee concludes by reaffirming its determination to defend the rights of victims, who have suffered since the beginning of the blockade imposed by the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Thursday, 28 Dhu al-Hijjah 1440
29 August 2019
Doha, Qatar

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