DOHA: The National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) celebrated the International Human Rights Day and the 76th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by organizing a symposium entitled 'Human Rights: A Path for Solutions'.
The event was held in partnership with the Arab Network for National Human Rights Institutions and the United Nations Human Rights Training and Documentation Centre for South-West Asia and the Arab Region.
This year's celebration of the International Human Rights Day is held under the theme: Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now.
Following the symposium, the NHRC signed a memorandum of understanding with the Workers' Support and Insurance Fund. The symposium recommended strengthening the global movement that supports human rights and giving it the appropriate space for innovation and renewal, in addition to consolidating human rights to prevent conflicts, build peace and put an end to conflict, transform the economy and establish equality and sustainability, and promote human rights in environmental work and work on climate change.
It also stressed the significance of strengthening governance, combating impunity and achieving full participation, advancing technology and science, empowering everyone without exception, enhancing the use of technology for youth to spread awareness about human rights issues, empowering youth economically to address the issue of high unemployment among youth, and strengthening the human rights system.
The symposium noted the importance of enhancing youth participation at various political and social levels through dialogue platforms between youth and policy makers to exchange views on issues related to human rights, to improve education on human rights through curricula at all educational levels, including vocational training, to enable youth to exercise their rights effectively and contribute to enhancing them in their communities and supporting youth initiatives by providing financial and technical support to youth initiatives that aim to spread awareness of human rights.
The symposium also stressed the importance of strengthening partnerships between youth and national and international institutions to achieve tangible results in this field and continuing to build regional networks to develop regional networks and youth organizations that work to enhance cooperation between youth in Arab countries to spread the culture of human rights and promote social justice in the region and raise public awareness and build capacities for new generations of the Arab human rights movement.
It noted the importance of strengthening the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary, strengthening criminal justice, including reducing the excessive application of the death penalty, tightening the prohibition of torture, improving the treatment of prisoners and detainees, stopping the practice of precautionary detention, strengthening national redress mechanisms, and addressing complaints of human rights violations, including addressing issues of economic and social rights.
The symposium also stressed the need to ensure freedom to establish and operate non-governmental organizations as a supporter and participant in promoting human rights at the national and regional levels, work with civil society at the local level, establish a platform for regional and international networking between governments within the framework of their international commitments and relevant monitoring and follow-up mechanisms, promote sustainable development to achieve the aspirations of local communities without exclusion, and ensure the preservation of the rights of future generations without waste, with the need for civil society participation during the redrawing and implementation of national development plans, in addition to urging Arab governments and the international community to work to reduce disputes and conflicts and to work seriously to immediately stop the aggression on Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.
Chairperson of the NHRC HE Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah said that International Human Rights Day is an occasion to renew the commitment to the principles of the Declaration, which represent common values for all peoples, civilizations and cultures, and an opportunity to affirm the determination to move forward to respect, implement and protect human rights.
While we appreciate the achievements and progress made in the field of human rights in the State of Qatar and in many countries of the world, we also recognize the challenges associated with armed conflicts, climate change, digital and technological developments, the persistence of the policy of impunity, and other global challenges, Her Excellency added.
Al Attiyah explained that these challenges hinder the actual enjoyment of human rights, which can only be overcome through a comprehensive approach based on human rights, recognizing human dignity and the principles of universality, inclusiveness, equality, non-discrimination, interdependence and indivisibility.As Chairperson of the NHRC in the State of Qatar and the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, I affirm our support for this year's campaign under the theme "Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now", and for the vision of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights under the title 'Human Rights: A Path for Solutions', Her Excellency added.
The Chairperson of the NHRC expressed aspiration for combined efforts to draw up a human rights-based approach to confront all relevant global challenges and to work to end the policy of double standards that has contributed to the continuation of violations in many parts of the world, which if continue, will lead to undermining global achievements in the field of human rights and threaten the future of the international human rights system.
She pointed out that facing the current challenges and planning for the future require a comprehensive reform of all United Nations agencies to enable them to play an effective role in ending serious violations and ending the policy of impunity, in addition to States fulfilling their obligations in the field of human rights, including strengthening the independence of national human rights institutions, providing a free and enabling environment for civil society, and involving all stakeholders in the processes of designing and evaluating decisions and policies related to human rights.
