QNA
Madrid
Chairperson of National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) HE Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah, who is also the president of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), held a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain Jose Manuel Albares in the capital Madrid.
During the meeting, Attiyah praised the position of the Spanish government on the aggression on the Gaza Strip, and its efforts to support stability and peace.
She also commended the role played by Spain on international and European Union levels, and its call for coordination with all stakeholders to work towards developing the international human rights protection system, eliminating double standards and impunity.
“The NHRC and GANHRI have followed the Spanish government’s demands for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, condemning the practices of settlers in the West Bank; and calls for the opening of crossings to allow humanitarian aid entry,” she said, expressing appreciation for the Spanish emphasis on not using double standards in dealing with international crises, and call for applying the same humanitarian and legal principles in both Ukraine and Gaza.
She noted the role of Qatar in supporting efforts to restore stability in Syria and supporting the process of peaceful transfer of power.
Attiyah invited the Spanish foreign minister to participate in the NHRC’s international conference on artificial intelligence and human rights, slated for next May in Doha.
The NHRC chairperson expressed pride in the activities held by the Committee in Spain, including the Human Rights in Islamic Culture Exhibition organised by the Committee at the Arab House Foundation in 2017.
She also expressed happiness with the interaction witnessed by the one-month exhibition, and expressed aspiration to hold more activities in cooperation with universities, national institutions and non-governmental organisations in Spain during the coming period.
She also proposed organising an annual panel discussion in the European Parliament to tackle the most pressing global human rights issues, with the participation of GANHRI member institutions.
Attiyah also touched on the efforts of the NHRC at the national, regional and international levels; its roles and initiatives in the field of legislative reform; its contributions to developing national protection standards and systems; its role in leading the GANHRI; and its role in leading the activities of national Arab human rights institutions.
She also delved into NHRC’s accomplishment in term of regional and international initiatives, including holding conferences and events inside and outside Doha, with the aim of reviewing the challenges facing human rights globally and regionally, and contributing to the development of protection standards and systems.
She highlighted the efforts of Qatar to promote and protect human rights in areas of armed conflict, especially the initiatives of Qatar regarding the most vulnerable groups, such as the “Educate a Child” and the “Women” initiatives.
Attiyah also met with several officials from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Director of the Human Rights Department Fernando Fernandez Aguayo; Ambassador-at-Large for Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law Alberto Cerezo Sobriano; and Director-General of the United Nations Affairs Lucia Garcia Rico.
She presented a summary of the role of the NHRC in developing and promoting international protection standards through international conferences held inside and outside Qatar, as well as its role in enhancing coordination between national human rights institutions through its presidency of the GANHRI, and holding the Secretariat of the Arab Network of National Human Rights Institutions.
Discussion during the meeting dealt with the challenges of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories in the context of the ongoing Israeli attacks on the civilian population, shielded by policy of double standards and continued impunity.
Attiyah spoke about the role of Qatar and the efforts of NHRC in addressing current international challenges, most notably climate change, armed conflicts, and the exacerbation of marginalisation of the most vulnerable groups in many societies.
She affirmed NHRC’s keenness on deepening cooperation with governmental and national institutions and Spanish civil society on human rights issues.
She highlighted the role of Qatar in maintaining international peace and security, as well as supporting the efforts of the United Nations to prevent and end conflicts, including its participation in supporting United Nations funds related to peacekeeping and its participation in peacekeeping missions in many countries around the world.
She also spoke about the efforts of Qatar in interacting with international protection mechanisms and its keenness to implement their recommendations.
Attiyah gave a brief on the United Nations House in Qatar, highlighting its regional roles, and Qatar’s support for its efforts.
She also highlighted the role of the NHRC in supporting the efforts of the United Nations in various fields related to human rights, including holding many international and regional conferences in partnership with UN agencies and bodies, and its continuous interaction with the sessions of the Human Rights Council and the sessions of the treaty bodies.
She also proposed organising a joint event on the roles of the United Nations mechanisms concerned with human rights and to evaluate their experience, and to submit proposals for their development, with the participation of governmental bodies, treaty bodies, Human Rights Council mechanisms, and international experts, in addition to the participation of national institutions and non-governmental organisations.
She also presented a summary on the roles of the NHRC in the Middle East.
The NHRC chairperson addressed the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and in some countries in the region, and provided an explanation of the efforts of Qatar to end conflicts through peaceful means.
She referred to Qatari initiatives and roles related to supporting relief efforts and peacekeeping, and promoting the right to education and the rights of women and girls in the Middle East and North Africa region, especially in areas of armed conflict.
