Dr. Al-Kuwari: Qatar’s ranking first in the Arab world and 33 globally in the Human Development Report as a result of its focus on human rights and sustainable development

Dr. Asmaa Al-Attiyah: we can’t talk about “Sustainable development” without enjoying fundamental rights that enable peoples to contribute to development

The National Human Rights Committee, the Police College and Qatar University celebrated the Arab Day for Human Rights on 19 and 20 March. Dr. Mohamed Saif Al Kuwari presented two lectures under the title of Human Rights and Sustainable Development. The first lecture was held at the Directorate of Academic Affairs at the Police College, for members of the third joint qualifying training course of those graduating from civilian Universities, in the presence of Captain Mohammed Oweidah Al Hajri, Head of Student Affairs Department, Captain Khalifa Ahmed Bo Hashim, Head of Research and Studies Department, a number of faculty officers and staff of the National Committee for Human Rights, in the College of Girls.

In his definition of sustainable development, Al-Kuwari said: “Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Development involves a progressive transformation of economy and society. A development path that is sustainable in a physical sense could theoretically be pursued even in a rigid social and political setting. But physical sustainability cannot be secured unless development policies pay attention to such considerations as changes in access to resources and in the distribution of costs and benefits. Even the narrow notion of physical sustainability implies a concern for social equity between generations, a concern that must logically be extended to equity within each generation.”

Al-Kuwari said “Sustainable development has a strong relationship with human rights. This relationship is highlighted in the United Nations Declaration on the Right to Development in 1986, which was linked to international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenants and other conventions and instruments of the United Nations where the elimination of human rights violations would contribute to the creation of favorable conditions for the development and that all human rights are interdependent and that the promotion of development requires attention to the promotion of civil and political, economic, social and cultural rights. The Declaration states that “states should cooperate with each other in eliminating obstacles to development and ensuring broad based sustainable development”

In the same context and with reference to the state of Qatar, the lecturer pointed to the most important development goals of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including the eradication of poverty, the provision of good health and well-being, gender equality, decent work, and economic growth, as well as the provision of the right to education, housing, dignity, welfare, health, work, equality and non-discrimination, and the right to life”.

Dr. Al-Kuwari added: “Development and human rights are the cornerstones of Qatar’s policy in the fields of education, health, and environment, as well as the rights of children, women, the elderly, persons with disabilities and expatriate labor. This indicates that the Qatari government is intensifying its work on the SDGs and taking care of its indicators as a strong reference for the assessment that supports the ongoing development process in the state in many fields, whether in the economic, social or environmental fields, and guaranteeing the rights of future generations to live in dignity”.

Dr. Al-Kuwari called for emphasis on a human rights approach to the implementation of sustainable development goals and a move towards rights-based policy-making and emphasizes development. It also recommended that the focus be placed on the human element in the development process, recognizing human right and responsibility to engage in the realization of development-related government policies and objectives.

Al-Kuwari noted the relationship between human rights and sustainable development as embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that the Declaration is based on a human rights-based approach in its balance by containing articles on rights holders, and emphasizes the interdependent role of both parties in the development process as a right and duty of the state and citizen, the right and the right to them, highlighting that the most important rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are available in article 2, which states: ” Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty”.
In the same context, Dr. Asma Al-Attiyah is Head of the Psychological Sciences Department, associate professor of special education at Qatar University and member of the National Committee for Human Rights, said that this is the second event during this academic year which was organized in cooperation and partnership with the National Human Rights Committee, Al Attiyah said that “The first event was presented by Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri, president of the National Human Rights Committee, where The second event is about” Human Rights and Sustainable Development “presented by Dr. Mohammed Bin Saif Al Kuwari, Member of the National Human Rights Committee, in the framework of the cooperation between Qatar University and the National Human Rights Committee.

Al-Attiyah said: “In this regard, we, in the Faculty of Education, through all our academic activities, are keen to empower our students by giving them the opportunity to participate in all events and meetings on human rights and to provide them with the opportunity to manage many seminars organized by the College, Achieves the vision of our dear homeland Qatar 2030. This important seminar is an enlightening message from the university to reach its students first, then the local community and the Arab world. Al-Attiyah added that human rights in our Arab homeland, which extends from the ocean to the Gulf, should be considered from all aspects, including political, social, cultural, health aspects. Human “fruit of the fruits of human societies correct in the basic rules, and sound in their spiritual and intellectual construction. Attiyah pointed out that the theme of the Arab Day for Human Rights this year is “Human Rights and Sustainable Development”. It is not possible to talk about sustainable development and intergenerational communication, unless the humans can enjoy their fundamental rights that enable him to contribute strongly to development. Therefore, it was important to shed light on these aspects during the seminar, which was attended by a large number of female students and members of the academic and administrative bodies of the college and the university.