DOHA: GCC National Human Rights Institutions held an emergency meeting yesterday to discuss the Iranian attacks on the Gulf states and their repercussions on the human rights situation.
The meeting, convened at the initiative of the Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), was attended by representatives from the Oman Human Rights Commission, the National Institute for Human Rights of Bahrain, the National Human Rights Bureau of Kuwait, the Human Rights Commission of Saudi Arabia, the National Human Right Institution of the United Arab Emirates, the GCC General Secretariat, and the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders.
Participants strongly condemned these attacks, which violate the UN Charter and constitute a flagrant breach of international humanitarian law. These attacks, they noted, included deliberate targeting of vital civilian infrastructure, resulting in widespread and serious violations of international human rights law.
In this context, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) H E Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah affirmed that the emergency meeting reflects the deep awareness of national human rights institutions in the GCC States regarding the dangers posed by the ongoing aggression, which flagrantly violates the Charter of the United Nations, the rules of international humanitarian law, and international human rights law.
She pointed out that this crime consisted of the deliberate targeting of civilian facilities and vital infrastructure, resulting in grave and widespread violations of the rights of the civilian population, most notably the rights to life, health, personal security, and freedom of movement, in addition to the severe psychological impact on the population, particularly women, children, and the elderly.
Her Excellency commended the comprehensive measures taken by the competent authorities of the GCC countries to protect lives, ensure the continued operation of vital facilities and institutions, and guarantee public access to essential services.
She emphasized the importance of the meeting in consolidating a human rights-based approach, coordinating human rights positions, and working to unify monitoring, documentation, and reporting mechanisms according to a shared methodology that ensures data accuracy and effective international action. This, she noted, contributes to achieving justice for victims and preventing impunity for perpetrators.
Assistant Secretary-General for Legislative and Legal Affairs at the General Secretariat of the GCC H E Consultant Sultan bin Nasser Al Suwaidi noted that Iranian attacks constitute a flagrant violation of the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, particularly with regard to respect for the sovereignty of states and the integrity of their territories.
President of the Human Rights Commission (HRC) of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia H E Dr. Hala Al Tuwaijri stressed that the meeting represents an initiative stemming from an awareness of the magnitude of the challenges facing our region and their potential repercussions, as well as the need to strengthen joint Gulf action in the field of human rights.
United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders H E Mary Lawlor, expressed regret over the exposure of Gulf states to what she described as an unlawful war from the perspective of international law.
The meeting, in its outcomes, read by HE Secretary-General of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Sultan bin Hassan Al Jamali, announced the establishment of a Gulf mechanism for monitoring, documentation, and reporting.
