The Minister in his inaugural address said the Qatari constitution had provided the legal basis for protection of human rights. Qatar is a signatory to several international conventions related to human rights and has been an active participant in all regional human rights initiatives. Qatar’s commitment to protecting human rights and freedom of speech is supported by a number of practical steps such as establishment of the National Human Rights Committee, the Qatar Center for Media Freedom and the Arab Democracy Foundation headquartered in Doha, said the Minister. The country has also been hosting a number of international conferences with a special focus on democracy, reform and human rights. “Qatar is keen to support all international efforts to protect human rights for the good of the humanity,” said the Minister. He called for a mechanism to effectively implement the international laws to end the Israeli aggression in Palestine and restore the rights of Palestinians. Al Merri said there is a need to promote human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations in the Arab world, to cultivate a human rights culture, which the region is badly lacking. He said there is a wrong notion that the concept of human rights is something imported from the West. Human rights are integrated in the beliefs of all religions in the world. He recommended the establishment of an Arab Court for human rights and implementation of a regional mechanism where the Arab citizens can file complaints against their own governments. Dr Seema Buhoos from the Arab League also addressed the inaugural session. http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=December2008&file=Local_News200812155280.xml

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