Secretary-General of the National Human Rights Committee Sultan bin Hassan Al Jamali and other officials with the South African delegation at NHRC’s headquarters, yesterday.
Doha: Secretary-General of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Sultan bin Hassan Al Jamali met at the NHRC’s headquarters yesterday with a delegation from the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities of South Africa, headed by Mikateko Joyce.
Al Jamali detailed the delegation on the NHRC terms of reference, noting that it performs its advisory role in terms of raising recommendations on human rights to the relevant authorities in Qatar. He also introduced the various NHRC departments and its objectives, including the Department of Legal Affairs.
He reviewed the role and mechanisms of the NHRC in protecting and promoting human rights in the state, whether in the educational, training or awareness aspects. This is, he said, in addition to the legal support it provides, especially with regard to empowering women and working to eliminate all forms of discrimination against them, and their participation in political, social, cultural and sporting life.
He highlighted the annual campaigns organised by the NHRC to spread the culture of human rights in all areas of health and education, as well as with regard to workers’ rights and the right to housing.
He noted that Qatar ratified the CEDAW convention in 2008 and has worked to develop its legislation and procedures towards the implementation of the convention. He emphasised that Qatar's 2nd National Development Strategy 2018-2022 underlines the sound social development and the social protection, and focuses on the need to protect children and women from all forms of domestic violence, through the review and development of legislation related to family protection.
The strategy also stresses the need for trained national competencies in the field of family protection, in addition to supporting the persons with disabilities.
With regard to workers’ rights, Al Jamali explained that the National Human Rights Committee conducts annual awareness campaigns to raise awareness of the rights and duties of workers, in addition to facilitating communication with the Legal Affairs Department to submit petitions through direct and indirect methods, and the special offices for the Indian, African, Nepalese and Filipino communities, to facilitate communication with the NHRC.
He welcomed the cooperation with the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities in South Africa, through the signing of a memorandum of understanding outlining the levels and objectives of joint cooperation.
Head of the delegation Mikateko Joyce praised the role played by the National Human Rights Committee, stressing the need to exchange experiences between the two sides in all fields related to human rights, especially with regard to women, youth and people with disabilities.
She pointed to many common goals for the two sides, through which joint work can be carried out to achieve the mission of the two sides in the process of protecting and promoting human rights. A number of directors of departments at the National Human Rights Committee provided an explanation about the competencies of their departments.
