Qatar has stressed that the illegal measures taken by the siege countries constitute a grave violation of civil, economic and social rights as they have had a negative impact on the lives of thousands.
This came in a speech delivered by Najat Daham al-Abdullah, Director of the Family Affairs Department at the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs before the 56th session of the Commission for Social Development on item 3 (b) entitled “Review of United Nations plans and programmes of action relating to situation of social groups”.
She said that while Qatar devotes its efforts to implementing plans and programmes for the success of the social development process at the national level and working in a spirit of co-operation and co-ordination with international institutions to achieve the goals of the United Nations Plan for Sustainable Development 2030, the State’s policy in this area faces a serious challenge as a result of the siege and the illegal measures against the Qatar since June 5, 2017.
These measures constitute a grave violation of civil, economic and social rights, including the prohibition of the entry of Qatari nationals into the territories of the countries imposing such measures, and to prevent nationals of those countries from travelling to or residing in Qatar.
These unilateral measures have had a negative impact on the lives of thousands of women, children and men, she noted, adding that they have cut off family ties, deprived hundreds of Qatari students of their right to continue their education at universities, the right to work was also affected for many of the citizens of the siege countries working in Qatar who were forced to return home, and other rights and freedoms such as freedom of ownership and freedom of movement.
She said that despite the negative economic impact of the blockade, the government of Qatar has striven from the beginning to take comprehensive measures to mitigate the humanitarian and social impact of these unilateral measures and to provide basic requirements for citizens and all residents of the country without exception.
Najat Daham al-Abdullah, Director of the Family Affairs Department at the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs, added that the attention of the Commission for Social Development to the eradication of poverty reflects the international community’s determination to achieve this goal, which is a fundamental pillar of the goals of the 2030 Sustainable Development Plan.
She said that Qatar has been achieving this goal from an early stage which is based on Qatar Vision 2030 adopted in 2008, which reflects the vision of the leadership of the State in line with the Plan of Sustainable Development 2030, adopted in 2015, Goals, in terms of goals, visions and mechanisms.
With Qatar’s belief in the importance of promoting and protecting human rights, the State had made great efforts to create an enabling environment for the development of all segments of society, including youth, persons with disabilities, the elderly and the family, as the basic unit of society, in addition to the State’s keenness to integrate their issues into all national development plans and strategies, and to establish and support social institutions that provide high quality services to these categories, she noted.
She said that in the light of the role that young people could play in society, the State paid special attention to them and made continuous efforts to promote their important role in the development and to provide them with an environment conducive to creativity and innovation, by investing in their abilities through excellent education and training programmes as well as to expand the horizons of their participation in public life and decision-making and employment opportunities for them, she referred to the establishment of the Youth Advisory Committee in 2017, which aims to promote a culture of dialogue and participation among young people and enable them to express their views and aspirations, and activate their leadership and creative skills to encourage them to participate in community activities by raising self-awareness and a sense of responsibility.
She stressed that the State co-operates with the civil society organisations on youth, including the Silatech Foundation, which was founded in 2008, a social institution that supports activities aimed at creating employment opportunities and allowing young people in the Arab world to participate and engage in economic and social development.
Qatar signed a memorandum of understanding on September 18, 2017 with the United Nations Office for Combating Terrorism and Silatech Foundation to strengthen the capacities of young people in the Arab and Islamic region to recruit and launch projects to prevent them from violent extremism.
The promotion and protection of the rights of persons with disabilities is a matter of great concern in Qatar, one of the first countries to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2008.
“We have come a long way in this area. Actions and measures at the legislative and executive level to ensure that the issues and needs of persons with disabilities are integrated into all development policies and programmes, with a view to overcoming the obstacles facing them, enhancing their access to all services and facilitating their daily lives and ensuring that any obstacles to their participation in public life are removed”, she said.
She pointed out that Qatar is one of the leading countries in the field of integrating persons with disabilities in society, both in the education and healthcare system and the labour market in the public and private sectors, as well as in the field of sports through organising competitions for persons with disabilities and encouraging their participation in sports activities including World Cup 2022, which we strive to be inclusive and accessible to all including people with disabilities.
She referred to the important role played by the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs in achieving the vision of Qatar 2030, which aims at achieving the goals of the 2030 Sustainable Development Plan.
She also noted the role played by the Qatar Foundation for Social Work as a higher institution that embraces several institutions, strategies and policies, providing technical support, contributing to the proposal and development of legislative instruments, and expanding effective partnerships with government departments, private sector institutions and civil society organisations in the field of social development.
The Doha International Family Institute (DIFI), which has consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, was one of the leading institutions to raise awareness of the role of the family in social development and the achievement of sustainable development goals and to enrich the work of the sessions of the Commission for Social Development through research, briefings and side events, In co-operation with the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), organised a meeting in Doha in March 2018 on the social protection of the family, she added.
Najat Daham al-Abdullah,  concluded by reiterating that the delegation of Qatar will continue its policy of achieving social development goals at the national and international levels, expanding partnerships with the United Nations and initiatives to improve the situation of the needy, especially in the least developed countries.

Najat Daham al-Abdullah, Director of the Family Affairs Department at the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs.
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