NHRC head stresses national human rights institutions’ impact on development plans
CHAIRPERSON of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) HE Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiya has stressed the important role of national human rights institutions to influence and urge the sustainability of development strategies, by integrating human rights into strategies and plans.
The NHRC in Qatar plays an important role in contributing to the improvement of development strategies by making proposals on existing legislation and draft laws and their compatibility with the provisions of international human rights conventions, Al Attiyah said.
This came during a review by the NHRC chairperson on the role of the Committee in formulating sustainable development strategies and its role in regional and international cooperation at the regional seminar on ‘Contribution of development to all human rights in Arab countries’, organized by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in cooperation with the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) in the Lebanese capital of Beirut.
She added that the Committee may propose to create, amend or cancel a law to further promote and respect human rights.
The committee receives complaints and petitions, conducts field monitoring, visits places of detention, health and psychological care homes, workplaces and workers’ accommodation, she said, pointing out that there is a legal team that documents and submits proposals to the competent authorities regarding any observations to be taken into consideration as challenges to the implementation of sustainable development strategies.
Commenting on the Committee’s regional and international cooperation, Al Attiyah said that the NHRC cooperates with regional and international bodies to participate in activities, exchange expertise, and benefit from the technical support provided to the Committee by regional and international bodies with the aim of raising its capabilities. She pointed to the Committee’s cooperation with the Arab League-affiliated Committee of the Arab Charter on Human Rights.
The Committee also cooperates with the Asia-Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions by encouraging and empowering the establishment of more national institutions within the region.
“The NHRC contributed to the establishment of the Arab Network for National Human Rights Institutions as a regional institution working to enhance human rights.
The Committee has signed many memoranda of understanding with its counterparts in the Philippines, Indonesia, Nepal, Somalia, Algeria, Libya and others,” Al Attiyah said.