Al-Raya, Al-Sharq Commend Qatar's Efforts in Promoting Human Rights

Doha, March 02 (QNA) - In their editorials on Wednesday, Al-Raya and Al-Sharq newspapers hailed the significant steps taken by the State of Qatar, and its unremitting efforts to improve the human rights situation and the steady implementation of its National Development Vision (NDV) 2030. The papers commended the State for maintaining a leading position in a number of international indicators in vital areas, such as the Education Index, Global Peace Index, as well as the low level of crime, noting Qatar was also the top country in the region to record the highest level of women's participation in the labor force. The papers highlighted that the Human Rights Committee in Geneva reviewed the initial report of the State of Qatar submitted under Article 40 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, pointing out that in an introductory statement before the Committee, HE Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi affirmed that the State of Qatar has achieved an advanced classification of 100 percent for the countries that submit their reports to international mechanisms, according to the statistical indicators issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. For its part, Al-Raya newspaper said that the State of Qatar views the upholding of human rights values as a moral obligation that cannot be compromised under any circumstances, which comes from its belief that principles are indivisible, noting that the country has stood firmly against all manifestations of human rights abuse around the world, and that it is calling for an effective international mechanism to combat these violations, criminalize them, and hold the perpetrators accountable - which enabled it to acquire the international community's confidence in its active and positive role in the protection and promotion of human rights and the rights of expatriate workers. The paper added that, in this regard, the Human Rights Committee in Geneva reviewed the initial report of the State of Qatar submitted under Article 40 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, pointing out that in an introductory statement before the Committee, HE Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi affirmed that the State of Qatar has achieved an advanced classification of 100 percent for the countries that submit their reports to international mechanisms, according to the statistical indicators issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The paper pointed out that Qatar has seen large-scale developments at the legislative and institutional levels and at the level of policies and strategies aimed at strengthening and promoting the human rights infrastructure, noting that the State of Qatar has adopted a series of pioneering legislative and institutional reforms in the region with the aim of promoting protection of the rights of expatriate workers, which led to the abolition of the sponsorship system, the improvement of working and decent living conditions for all workers, and the creation of a safe and balanced work environment, in line with the international labor standards. The efforts of the State of Qatar in this regard are still ongoing, and the National Human Rights Action Plan will be launched soon, the paper added. With the testimony of the United Nations' international organizations, Qatar has become a role model in the region in safeguarding and protecting the rights of expatriate workers, who live in Qatar under the umbrella of the law that guarantees the rights of all, the paper said, adding that Qatar has always been keen to improve the human rights situation and effectively implement its NDV 2030. Al-Raya concluded its editorial by saying that the submission of the State of Qatar's report comes at a time when the country is preparing to host the most prominent global sporting event - the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022; stressing that Qatar has ensured the highest standards of security and safety for workers in infrastructure projects, and the construction of stadiums and projects related to this global event, as it views hosting this major tournament as a valuable opportunity to promote values of equality, solidarity and mutual respect. Qatar has been seeking to raise awareness among State employees of human rights principles and standards, contributing to establishing and strengthening national institutions working in the field of human rights, as well as increasing the pace of ongoing legislative reforms and reviewing human rights policies, the paper added. In turn, Al-Sharq newspaper confirmed, in its editorial on Wednesday, that the submission of the State of Qatar's initial report under Article 40 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in Geneva on time, reflects its keenness to participate in the report review session with a delegation chaired by HE Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi, and representatives of the concerned government institutions in the State - emphasizing the significance of the work carried out by the committee. In this regard, the paper noted that since its accession to the Covenant in 2018, the State of Qatar has achieved an advanced classification of 100 percent for the countries that submit their reports to international mechanisms, according to the statistical indicators issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, adding that the country has also seen large-scale developments at the legislative and institutional levels and at the level of policies and strategies aimed at strengthening and promoting human rights infrastructure. Al-Sharq said that thanks to its unremitting efforts to improve the human rights situation and the steady implementation of its National Development Vision (NDV) 2030, the State of Qatar has taken significant steps by maintaining a leading position in a number of international indicators in vital areas, such as the Education Index, Global Peace Index, as well as the low level of crime, noting that Qatar was also the top country in the region to record the highest level of women's participation in the labor force. Human rights were the center of the measures, procedures and policies related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, in addition to the leading legislative and institutional reforms in the region, which ensured the protection of labor rights, promotion and protection of women's rights, as well as the organization of the first elections of the Shura Council, the paper added. The paper concluded its editorial by saying that the exchange of views on how to implement the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, by reviewing the report, affirms the State of Qatar's keenness to ensure the application and protection of the basic principles of human rights and continue to raise awareness of human rights principles and standards, contributing to establishing and strengthening national institutions working in the field of human rights, and increasing the pace of ongoing legislative reforms in a way that ensures the promotion and protection of human rights. (QNA)