QNA
San Jose
The regional consultative meeting on the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners, known as the ‘Bangkok Rules’, concluded in San Jose, Costa Rica, with a decision to select Qatar as the host for the upcoming regional consultative meetings.
In a statement, the Ministry of Interior highlighted that Qatar’s selection underscores the country’s leading role in promoting international cooperation on human rights, particularly the rights of prisoners, in accordance with international standards and humanitarian law.
The ministry emphasised that this decision reflects the global community’s confidence in Qatar’s commitment to implementing the principles of the Doha Declaration, issued at the Thirteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.
The Declaration advocates for comprehensive policies that focus on prisoner education and rehabilitation, improving their living conditions and medical care, and ensuring their reintegration into society. These efforts aim to reduce recidivism rates while extending support to prisoners’ families.
The statement further noted that this achievement enhances Qatar’s position as a global leader in advancing international initiatives aimed at improving criminal justice systems and aligning the treatment of prisoners with the highest international standards. An official delegation from Qatar’s Ministry of Interior, led by Major General Nasser Mohammed Issa Al Sayed, director of the Penal and Correctional Institutions Department, participated in the San Jose meeting.
During the event, Major General Al Sayed presented Qatar’s ongoing efforts to develop penal policies that balance the enforcement of criminal justice with the protection of human rights.
The meeting addressed several key topics, including strategies for implementing the Bangkok Rules in the treatment of female prisoners, sharing successful experiences, and enhancing international cooperation in these areas.