The 13th session of the Arab Human Rights Committee kicked off at the Arab League headquarters on Monday to discuss the first periodic report of the State of Qatar under Article 48 of the Arab Charter on Human Rights. 
HE Acting Director of Human Rights Department at the Foreign Ministry Ambassador Faisal bin Abdullah Al Henzab is chairing Qatar's delegation to the meeting. 
Addressing the meeting, Ambassador Al Henzab said that the State of Qatar appreciates the important role of the Human Rights Committee in assisting the states parties to improve and strengthen their commitments and their implementation of the provisions the Arab Charter, affirming in this regard Qatar's full support and cooperation with the Committee. 
The adoption of the Arab Charter on Human Rights and the establishment of the Arab Human Rights Committee were the result of the reform efforts undertaken by the Arab League, which stressed the importance of establishing a regional system for the promotion and protection of human rights in the Arab region, he added. 
Al Henzab affirmed Qatar's great attention to the promotion and the protection of human rights which represents a strategic option and the backbone of the State's comprehensive reform policy. This attention has been reflected in the development and strengthening of the human rights infrastructure at the legislative and institutional levels, and its was emphasized in the comprehensive vision of development "Qatar National Vision 2030", which included important axes touching upon the major human rights issues in the fields of education, health, environment, women empowerment and children's rights. 
The promotion and protection of human rights also received great attention in the National Development Strategy (2011-2016), which included sectorial strategies and programs to implement Qatar National Vision 2030, he added. 
The State of Qatar appreciates the contributions of expatriate workers and regards them partners in its development, he noted, stressing that protecting and promoting the rights of expatriate workers is a fundamental pillar in the policies of the State. 
He noted that the State of Qatar was ranked first in the Arab world and thirty-third in the Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) for 2016 under the title "Human Development for All", which reflected the great development in the fields of education, health and GDP. 
He highlighted Qatar's efforts to address most of the concerns and recommendations made by the Committee in its consideration of the State's first report. The process of submission of the concluding reports and observations has led to a number of actual benefits to ensuring human rights in the country. 
Among the positive outcome is raising awareness among state employees and government departments of the wide range of human rights that was limited in the past to basic services, especially education and health. It also raised awareness of the Arab Charter and the rights contained therein, and strengthened voluntary human rights institutions, he added. 
The process of dialogue and concluding observations has increased the pace of ongoing legislative reforms on human rights as well as the review of human rights policies, Al Henzab underlined. 
He expressed the hope that the dialogues with the Committee will motivate the country to make further progress in ensuring human rights, stressing the political will to implement the provisions of the Arab Charter on Human Rights in the State of Qatar. 
He reiterated that the State of Qatar will spare no effort through its membership in regional and international organizations to contribute actively to support efforts to promote and protect human rights. 

Source: QNA