Doha: The Vice Chairman of Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) has said that some reports about Qatar in the international media are politically motivated and should not be taken seriously.
Dr Yousuf Obaidan said the NHRC strictly tracks all cases of human right violations in Qatar.
“We must not take every allegation against Qatar from international media seriously, as there are some reports that are politically motivated and they are not credible,” Obaidan said.
He was speaking at the closing ceremony of the 18th Asia Pacific Forum (APF) annual conference yesterday. The NHRC closely monitors such cases, and also organises unannounced visits to several areas.“If we come across a human rights violation, the case is referred to the concerned bodies of the government, who then take necessary action.”
Qatar has also hired a reputed international law firm to carry out an independent review of the recent allegations of forced labour in the country.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs has said it commissioned DLA Piper, a leading international law firm, to undertake an independent review of the allegations.
Jabir Al Huwail, the Director of Legal Affairs at NHRC, said the committee also monitors reports published locally and internationally on human right violations in Qatar. He said that the NHRC has sub-committees that conduct field investigation on work sites and labour accommodations, and violators are referred to the authorities.
Obaidan also announced that Qatar is going to host the annual APF conference for two years, and later the conference will be held in India. The three-day forum discussed a number of issues including women rights and mechanisms to empower them. The conference brings together representatives from APF member institutions, international agencies, governments and civil society organisations in the region.The Peninsula
