CAIRO: The 25th session of the Arab Charter Committee on Human Rights concluded at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States, which discussed over two days the third periodic report of the State of Qatar, as a party to the Arab Charter on Human Rights.
In a statement, the Committee praised the welcome speech delivered during the session by Minister of State for International Cooperation HE Lolwah bint Rashid Al Khater, in which she presented a comprehensive overview of the fundamental reforms undertaken by the State of Qatar in the field of human rights, noting the State of Qatar's firm commitment to human rights principles and constructive cooperation with the Committee. She also provided concrete examples of these reforms through specific programs and projects in several areas, including women's empowerment, child protection, and promoting the rights of persons with disabilities.
The statement, delivered by Acting Director of Human Rights Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Reem bint Ali Ibrahim Al Derham, indicated that the session addressed various aspects of the human rights record in the State of Qatar. The discussions focused on main axes, including the goals of the Charter, the right to equality and non-discrimination, the right to life and physical integrity, combating slavery and human trafficking, the judiciary and the right to access it, civil and political freedoms, the right to individual property and freedom of opinion and expression, protection of the family, especially women and children, the right to work, the right to development, the right to health, and the rights of persons with disabilities.
The Committee noted that during the session, it held a closed meeting with the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) in the State of Qatar to discuss the human rights situation in the country from the NHRC's perspective.
The statement also noted the speeches made at the opening session, in which Chairman of the Arab Charter Committee on Human Rights Counselor Jaber Saleh Al Marri congratulated the State of Qatar on its re-election as a member of UN Human Rights Council, and expressed his hope that this election would contribute to strengthening the State of Qatar's efforts in the field of protecting human rights at the international level.
In the same context, Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Media and Communication Sector at the Arab League Ambassador Ahmed Rashid Khattabi praised the efforts of the Arab Charter Committee on Human Rights in enhancing the protection of human rights, stressing the League's commitment to supporting these efforts by providing the necessary expertise and logistical support. He also stressed the importance of cooperation with civil society organizations to ensure comprehensive follow-up of the issued recommendations.
For his part, Chairman of the Permanent Arab Committee on Human Rights Ambassador Talal Al-Mutairi said that discussing the third periodic report of the State of Qatar is a translation of the efforts made by the country in the field of human rights, praising the space provided by the Arab Charter Committee during its sessions to look at the future of human rights in the region and discuss ways to enhance and protect them.
At the end of its statement, the Committee said that it will issue a document of concluding observations and recommendations on the State of Qatar's third periodic report in light of the discussions and the shadow documents and reports it received, within a month of the end of the discussion, and that the State of Qatar will submit its fourth periodic report to the Committee by the end of 2027.
For her part, Acting Director of Human Rights Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Reem bint Ali Ibrahim Al Derham delivered the State of Qatar's introductory statement before the Committee, in which she underlined the State of Qatar's keenness on the report submitted by Qatar and the response memorandum to include all developments related to the Arab Charter that the State of Qatar has witnessed since 2021.
