Secretary-General of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah said that the State of Qatar has acceded to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in an effort to promote human rights and strengthen Qatar's comprehensive development and National Vision 2030, in all its economic, social and political dimensions.

Al Attiyah pointed out that the importance of the accession of the State of Qatar to the two covenants mentioned, as they are in line with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and international human rights law, which include all the principles and provisions of human rights in general. She noted that the two covenants specify in a detailed and binding manner the limits that the state must abide by in the field of the application of human rights and public freedoms.

This came during the speech of Al Attiyah at the opening of the three-day workshop organized by the NHRC, and the United Nations Human Rights Training and Documentation Centre for South-West Asia and the Arab Region in Doha, on Qatar's obligations under ICESCR and ICCPR.

She noted that the two covenants contained pledges to ensure all rights, as well as the state's obligation to report on the enactment of legislation and procedures to implement those undertakings. She stressed that once a state had acceded to either of the covenants, they become part of its laws and legislation to be referred to in legislation, judiciary, and administrative work. The two international covenants had the force of legislative treaties for all governments that had ratified them, she added.

Al Attiyah explained that the workshop aims at defining the rights and guarantees covered by the two covenants, and the obligations of Qatar's accession to them on the various relevant state institutions, in addition to the role of NHRC and civil society organizations in protecting and promoting the rights provided for therein.

She further added that the workshop seeks to highlight the obligations of the State of Qatar by acceding to ICESCR and ICCPR, in the framework of continued cooperation between NHRC and the UN Human Rights Training and Documentation Centre for South-West Asia and the Arab Region.

Alaa Qaoud, Deputy Director, UN Human Rights Training and Documentation Centre for South-West Asia and the Arab Region, said that the workshop will discuss the ICESCR and ICCPR, in addition to general comments on the rights and guarantees covered by the two covenants.

He added that the workshop aims to raise the participants' awareness of the content of the rights and guarantees covered by the two covenants. He reviewed the topics on the agenda, including the international human rights system, the obligations of the State of Qatar, international human rights treaties and the role of national institutions in protecting the rights enshrined in the covenants.

ICCPR provides for the right to participate in public affairs, the right to vote, liberty, security of person, freedom of opinion, expression, equality, non-discrimination, and others.

ICESCR stresses the right to enjoy just and favorable conditions of work, the right to participate in cultural life, the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, and others. The State of Qatar acceded to ICESCR and ICCPR in March 2018.

(News Source: QNA)

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Khadiza Begum

Content Writer

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