Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani with Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl
DOHA: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has said that the State of Qatar has been negotiating with the United Nations Human Rights Committee for more than a year to find an international mechanism to guarantee the rights of citizens of the State of Qatar and prevent the violation of their rights.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs said this while responding to a question during a joint press conference with Austrian Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, Karin Kneissl, yesterday in Vienna.
H E Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani met with Karin Kneissl, during his official visit to Austria. The meeting discussed bilateral relations and ways of strengthening and developing them, in addition to a number of topics of common concern.
H E Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed in a joint press conference with Austrian Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs after the meeting, that the State of Qatar aspires to develop bilateral relations, especially in the fields of development, research, technology, and education.
The Austrian Minister affirmed the convergence of views on a number of issues that have been put forward.
Regarding developments in Syria, the Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed that the State of Qatar is closely monitoring the developments in Idlib, calling for the provision of international guarantees for the protection of civilians.
Meanwhile, Permanent Representative of the State Qatar to the United Nations Office and other international organisations in Geneva, Ambassador Ali Khalfan Al Mansouri has called upon the siege countries to sit to the negotiating table to end the human rights violations committed in the context of the Gulf crisis, which have affected a large number of individuals and families.
This came in the Statement of Qatar, delivered by Permanent Representative of the State Qatar to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, Ambassador Ali Khalfan Al Mansouri, during the general debate on the oral update by the High Commissioner for Human Rights under Item (2) of the Human Rights Council’s 39th Session.
Qatar’s Permanent Representative stated: “We concur with the High Commissioner’s statement that political differences may divide some of the countries, but upholding human rights is in the interest of every State. In this context, we call on siege countries to sit to the negotiating table to end the human rights violations committed in the context of the Gulf crisis, which have affected a large number of individuals and families”.
Ambassador Al Mansouri voiced the State of Qatar’s thanks to the High Commissioner for her update, reaffirming full confidence in her capacity and competence to lead the OHCHR to carry out its mandate objectively and effectively.
He expressed hope that the High Commissioner would address in her update the human rights violations that accompanied the Gulf crisis and the blockade imposed on the State of Qatar since 5 June 2017. These violations were evidently reflected in the report of the OHCHR Technical Team who visited Doha last November. He urged the OHCHR and the Council’s relevant mechanisms to take all feasible measures to put an end to these violations, especially as they continue to this day.
Ambassador Al Mansouri said that as part of Qatar Government’s efforts to uphold human rights and fundamental freedoms at the State, Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani issued on September 4, Law No. (13) of 2018 guaranteeing expatriate workers the right to exit and leave the country without prior permission.
He added that this law is a new step that further supports Qatar’s continuous efforts to provide decent working and living conditions for all workers in Qatar. HH the Amir has already issued Law No. (21) of 2015, under which the sponsorship system “Kafala was fully abolished and replaced by contracts of employment. Also, Law No. 15 of 2017 on “Domestic Workers”, was enacted providing for a number of guarantees on the rights of this category of workers.
He reaffirmed the Qatari government’s commitment to continue to cooperate with the OHCHR and to support the efforts of the High Commissioner to carry out the mandate of the Office in the promotion and protection of human rights all over the world.
Concluding the statement, Permanent Representative of the State Qatar to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, Ambassador Ali Khalfan Al Mansouri thanked the former High Commissioner Prince Zeid bin Ra’ad Al Hussein for his valuable efforts during his tenure.
