Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Labour, represented by the National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking, in partnership with the National Human Rights Committee, organised the first workshop on the National Referral System, entitled “National Referral System for Combating Human Trafficking: Protecting and Rehabilitating Victims and Promoting Human Rights”.
In her opening remarks at the introductory workshop, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labour and Secretary-General of the National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking H E Sheikha Najwa bint Abdulrahman Al Thani, affirmed that the launch of the National Referral System represents an important step in Qatar’s efforts to strengthen its national framework for combating this crime, protecting its victims and ensuring a more integrated and effective response.
She noted that the relevant authorities in Qatar have, over the years, worked to establish specialised systems, procedures and expertise in the areas of prevention, identification of cases, protection and care, law enforcement and prosecution, alongside effective partnerships with non-governmental entities and relevant institutions.
She explained that human trafficking is a complex and evolving crime by nature, and is among the crimes that rapidly adapt to changing circumstances and exploit developments in methods of exploitation and ways of luring victims. She stressed that the response to such crimes must be equally flexible and capable of continuous development, and must not be limited to addressing known patterns of crime, but should also be capable of keeping pace with the challenges that may arise in the future.
She highlighted the importance of the National Referral System, explaining that it is not merely a set of procedures, but rather a practical framework that clarifies how the respective roles are interconnected, when each entity should intervene, and how cases are referred between the relevant entities, thereby ensuring that there are no gaps in the response or duplication of roles.
In his remarks during the opening session, Secretary-General of the National Human Rights Committee H E Sultan bin Hassan Al-Jamali, said that the National Referral System for Combating Human Trafficking embodies the principles of the Permanent Constitution of the State of Qatar and is consistent with the legislative measures, public policies and procedures adopted by the State to safeguard human dignity and protect human rights, particularly those of the most vulnerable groups.
He noted that the National Referral System constitutes an extension of efforts to implement the undertakings and obligations set out in the international treaties to which the State is a party.
