QNA
Doha
National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Chairperson Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah met on Monday in Doha with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Head of Rule of Law, Security, and Human Rights Katy Thompson. Also present was Head of UNDP Office in Doha Biplove Choudhary.
The NHRC said in a statement that the meeting discussed activating the partnership between the two sides, the possibility of enhancing regional cooperation, working to enhance the capacities of national human rights institutions to address human rights challenges, providing innovative digital solutions, and promoting discussions on digital rights to foster human rights monitoring, advocacy and education.
The statement explained that a tripartite coordination meeting was held between the NHRC, the Doha-based Arab Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ANNHRI), and the UNDP. During the meeting, the parties emphasised the importance of continuing the partnership and benefiting from Qatar’s experience as a hub for hosting meetings and facilitating knowledge exchange for national human rights institutions in the Arab region. The discussion focused on shared priorities, including environmental rights, labour rights, and gender equality.
Additionally, plans were made to hold conferences in Doha on key global human rights issues, such as business and human rights, digital ethics and artificial intelligence, and the intersection of human rights and climate justice.
It pointed out that the coordination meeting called for benefiting from Qatar’s participation in global human rights mechanisms to facilitate the exchange of strategic and technical knowledge for effective advocacy in the region, and working to establish a repository based in Doha for best practices and case studies.
It also called for enhancing the work of national human rights institutions in implementing effective policies and programmes, as well as developing initiatives to export the outcomes of regional and global participation through knowledge products and programming between countries in the region to address common challenges. This contributes to facilitating cooperation between nations and deepening strategic partnerships with international organisations, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions.
The NHRC affirmed, through its statement, its readiness to cooperate with the UNDP by working to implement the objectives of the NHRC’s 2024-2030 strategy, which intersect with the objectives of the UNDP, noting the start of holding a roundtable meeting during the first quarter of this year with the United Nations House, to coordinate the executive activities that can be organised by the two sides.
In addition, ANNHRI officials detailed the key strengths of its previous cooperation with the UNDP, as the network has come a long way in fruitful cooperation in the field of building and enhancing the capacities of national institutions that are members of the network, in addition to unifying opinions on specific topics of common interest and priority, completing the methodological guide for monitoring human rights during elections, and cooperating in implementing activities.
The ANNHRI recommended the necessity of completing the elections programme through training programmes based on the methodological guide, after converting it into a training manual. It also emphasised the importance of developing programmes to enable national institutions to monitor countries’ implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Furthermore, it highlighted the need for enhanced cooperation with the UNDP to promote a culture of human rights at both governmental and public levels, as well as empowering and supporting institutions in this context.
It also recommended targeting government officials and parliaments in these programmes to achieve harmony between national legislation and international human rights standards, ensuring that national legislation aligns with signed agreements. The recommendation emphasised the need to focus future programmes on local challenges and needs, which may vary from one country to another, while also maintaining efforts at the regional level.
Additionally, it suggested cooperating with the UNDP to prepare a training plan aimed at enhancing the capacity of national institutions that are members of the network. This includes using digital technology and artificial intelligence, as well as developing their capabilities in monitoring, documentation, and preparing impact measurement reports.
The plan would cover collecting, analysing, and documenting information and data, utilising these in reports, and drawing informed conclusions.
