HE Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah underlined that Qatar presented a strong lesson to the whole world and a role model by organising an unprecedented World Cup with global recognition, describing the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 as a unique edition that began with a dazzling opening, and concluded with unparalleled creativity, whether in term of the overall impressive organisation, or in terms of the contents and messages that it was able to deliver to the world with diplomacy and superior ability.
In an interview with Al-Sharq newspaper on Sunday, HE the NHRC Chairperson said that Qatar harnessed all capabilities to organise a successful World Cup without problems or violations, despite the organised smear campaigns that it has been subjected to since it won the bid to host the World Cup.
Her Excellency added that Qatar dealt with the conspiracies with a conscious strategy, well-studied diplomacy and skill, stressing that those campaigns promoted misleading, irresponsible and baseless allegations.
Her Excellency noted that the Qatar World Cup succeeded in changing the stereotype about the Middle East, which was formed in the West due to historical and ideological reasons, and the Arab person appeared in a way that differed from the image entrenched in the minds of the West, and most importantly, the Qatar World Cup Qatar promoted Islam, rituals and noble human values.
On the other hand, HE Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah noted the annual strategy of the NHRC's activities, which aims to protect and promote human rights at the national and international levels. She revealed that the Committee will focus in 2023 on the centrality of climate change, and is expected to organise an international conference with its partners in the United Nations on human rights and climate change in February.
She added that the Committee's new logo will be present in all its activities in 2023, celebrating the 20th anniversary.
Her Excellency said that the NHRC Office at Hamad International Airport reflects the extent of commitment to human rights, reaffirming that Qatar welcomes European or UN missions, and everyone who wants to know the reality in the State of Qatar. She explained that the NHRC organises frequent field visits to inspect workers' conditions at work and housing sites.
Regarding the NHRC's participation in the activities of Qatar 2022, Her Excellency said that the Committee's World Cup-related activities started before the kickstart of the official events, through training courses and exhibitions, including the Human Rights and Football exhibition, which was organised inside and outside the country and was held throughout the tournament period in Sheraton Hotel Park. The NHRC was also keen on preparing the community to receive the great sporting event, through the convening of the first National Forum for Human Rights, which was organised in September to discuss the role of law enforcement institutions in protecting human rights during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The Forum aimed at highlighting the efforts carried out by various state institutions and how to integrate sport within the culture of human rights.
Her Excellency added that a specialised working group was formed to carry out awareness-raising and monitoring of everything related to human rights, in application of the guidelines that govern dealing with sporting events in accordance with an approach that respects human rights, in addition to coordination with the concerned authorities at the local and international levels, follow-up on the process of implementing the guidelines on the ground, and ensuring the empowerment of the most vulnerable groups to enjoy the right to sport, especially persons with disabilities.
In response to a question about the accusations regarding labour and human rights in Qatar, HE Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah said that Qatar has been subjected to unprecedented criticism and attack through systematic campaigns intended to thwart its hosting of the World Cup, however Qatar was aware of all these conspiracies and did not pay heed to them, rather proceeded with its tight organisation and arrangements in great silence. The pace of the attack accelerated near the opening of the World Cup and increased its intensity. The malicious parties did not stop their attempts and are still continuing. In return Qatar completed its readiness and dazzled the world with its creativity in all details of the World Cup, with the testimony of the fans who expressed their great amazement at the unparalleled organisation and arrangement provided by Qatar.
Since winning the bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2022, Qatar has turned into a workshop to repair and rehabilitate the infrastructure and establish World Cup stadiums, hotels, buildings and residential complexes, in preparation for receiving World Cup fans. This necessitated bringing in thousands of workers to participate in this urban construction, accordingly targeting the State through this part, which had clear goals, foremost of which is the refusal to hold the World Cup in Qatar, Her Excellency indicated.
She underlined that the accusations were theoretical and general without presenting any conclusive evidence, and the National Human Rights Committee has been the monitoring eye of any practice that would be inconsistent with the principles of human rights.
HE the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee noted that 2021 witnessed the issuance of many legislations that are of particular importance in the promotion of human rights in Qatar, most importantly was the Shura Council Election System Law, in implementation of the Qatari Constitution, which confirmed the State’s keenness to continue efforts to ensure and promote human rights by creating the necessary legislative environment.
Her Excellency pointed to a number of important laws, including the Labour Law which regulated the work of recruitment offices and reviewed contract development in more than one field, including health protection, social protection, wage protection, and human rights protection, by explaining and analysing the provisions of the Labour Law and the successive ministerial decisions issued for its implementation, as well as other related legislations, such as Law No. 12 of 2015 regulating the entry and exit of expatriates.
On the NHRC's keenness to attract Qatari cadres to work in the legal field, Her Excellency indicated that Qatar's universities provide a large number of graduates with their various specialisations, including law graduates. Through the memorandums of understanding that the NHRC concludes with relevant authorities, it provides periodic lectures in schools and universities to introduce the field of human rights and the role carried out by the committee, to encourage students to enter this humanitarian field.
She noted that the process of creating Qatari cadres starts from secondary and university levels, in addition to giving students the opportunity of practical training at the committee to learn about its mechanism of work, and other means and privileges to attract Qatari cadres to work in the human rights field.
