A regional workshop on finding the right balance between effective counter-terrorism measures and full respect of fundamental freedoms and human rights opened at the InterContinental Hotel yesterday. H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, Minister of State for Interior Affairs and Chairman of the Counter-Terrorism National Committee (CTNC), delivered the keynote speech at the function, which has been organised by the CTNC along with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The minister said Qatar was keen to enhance its cooperation with UN organisations in the global fight against terrorism. “Ensuring respect for human rights during the implementation of legislation, policies and practices to combat terrorism is crucial, as the UN General Assembly agreed in September 2006. Qatar’s legal procedures comply with the human rights charter and related international laws,” said the minister. Counter-terrorism measures are effective if they are compatible with full respect for fundamental human rights, he said. Mohamed Abdulaziz, UNODC’s Regional Director for the MENA region, said the UN had issued guidelines to help states strike a balance between human rights and combating terrorism through a number of resolutions adopted by the General Assembly, Security Council and the Commission on Human Rights. The UNODC provides scientific and technical support to 150 countries for crime prevention, including combating terrorism. Presenting a paper on human rights in Qatar, Ali bin Sumaikh Al Mari, Chairman of Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee, highlighted Qatar’s efforts to protect human rights through legislative measures. Experts from UNODC, the UN Commission for Human Rights, the Human Rights Council and International Committee for Red Cross and representatives of the committee concerned in the Security Council are attending the regional workshop on the protection of human rights in countering terrorism. http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=May2009&file=Local_News2009051225859.xml

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