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QNA
Cairo
Qatar appreciates the contributions of expatriate workers and regards them partners in its development, and protecting and promoting their rights is a fundamental pillar in the State's policies, said Acting Director of Human Rights Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Faisal bin Abdullah al Henzab.
Henzab made the remarks at the 13th session of the Arab Human Rights Committee, which kicked off at the Arab League headquarters on Monday to discuss Qatar's first periodic report under Article 48 of the Arab Charter on Human Rights.
Henzab led Qatar's delegation to the meeting.
Addressing the meeting, Ambassador Henzab said that Qatar appreciates the important role of the Human Rights Committee in assisting the states parties to improve and strengthen their commitments and their implementation of the provisions the Arab Charter.
The adoption of the Arab Charter on Human Rights and the establishment of the Arab Human Rights Committee were the result of the reform efforts undertaken by the Arab League, which stressed the importance of establishing a regional system for the promotion and protection of human rights in the Arab region, he added.
Henzab affirmed Qatar's attention to the promotion and the protection of human rights which represents a strategic option of the State's comprehensive reform policy.
He said this attention has been reflected in the development and strengthening of the human rights infrastructure at the legislative and institutional levels, and it was emphasised in the Qatar National Vision 2030.
The promotion and protection of human rights also received great attention in the National Development Strategy (2011-2016), which included sectorial strategies and programmes to implement the Qatar National Vision 2030, he added.
He noted that Qatar was ranked first in the Arab world and 33rd in the Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for 2016 under the title 'Human Development for All', which reflected the great development in the fields of education, health and GDP.
He highlighted Qatar's efforts to address most of the concerns and recommendations made by the Committee in its consideration of the State's first report. The process of submission of the concluding reports and observations has led to a number of actual benefits to ensuring human rights in the country.
He said,"Among the positive outcome is raising awareness among state employees and government departments of the wide range of human rights that was limited in the past to basic services, especially education and health. It also raised awareness of the Arab Charter and the rights contained therein and strengthened voluntary human rights institutions."
