As part of its participation in the General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) held in the Angolan capital, Luanda, the Shura Council outlined the efforts of Qatar in the field of protecting human rights, moving from its established principles and international obligations towards these rights.
This came in the participation of HE Member of the Shura Council Dr. Sultan bin Hassan al-Dhabet al-Dosari, in the meeting of the IPU's Standing Committee for Democracy and Human Rights, which was held as part of the proceedings of the Union's 147th General Assembly. HE al-Dosari stressed the keenness of Qatar and its great support for promoting and protecting human rights in all regions of the world, through co-operation with relevant international organizations.
He highlighted Qatar's position as a reliable mediator with all countries of the world and United Nations agencies, praising in this respect the success of Qatari mediation between Russia and Ukraine to reunite a number of Ukrainian children with their families in Ukraine, and its success in mediating the release of American citizens detained in Iran, and other successful mediation efforts.
In the same context, HE al-Dosari also referred to Qatar's efforts in transporting Afghan asylum seekers through Doha, facilitating their arrival to their final destinations, and what Qatar provided in this aspect to Afghan families during their stay in Doha in terms of housing, medical treatment and education.
As for the aggression against Gaza, he touched upon Qatar's call on the international community and relevant organizations to stop the aggression against the people of Gaza Strip, targeting civilians and killing children, women and the elderly.
In this context, HE al-Dosari added that the efforts of Qatar, in co-operation with a number of countries, are focused on stopping the aggression against Gaza, lifting the siege, and delivering humanitarian aid, while always emphasizing the necessity of achieving peace and stability in the region through adherence to international resolutions and establishing an independent Palestinian state within the two-state solution.
Furthermore, the Shura Council participated in the meeting of the Union's Standing Committee for Democracy and Human Rights, where a draft resolution entitled 'Trafficking in Orphans: The Role of Parliaments in Reducing Harms' was discussed and adopted.
The Shura Council also participated in a hearing session held by the IPU's Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, which discussed the topic of 'Ensuring global food security'.
During his participation in the session, HE Member of the Shura Council Khalid bin Abbas Kamal al-Emadi touched on Qatar's investment in developing its food and agricultural policies and infrastructure, its interest in food security researches, and its establishment of a fund to sponsor agricultural and food research, as well as intensifying efforts to adapt to climate change and employ renewable energy in the agricultural sector.
HE al-Emadi stressed Qatar's focus on enhancing national food production, diversifying import sources, and creating a strategic reserve that achieves a balance between food stocks. He also highlighted Qatar's support for international efforts to secure food for the least developed countries.
He also pointed out that Qatar is hosting the International Horticultural Expo 2023 Doha, which serves as a global platform for exchanging expertise in the field of modern agricultural techniques and the latest technology in this field, inviting the participants in the meeting to visit this important international forum to see the global efforts being made to achieve sustainability.
He also touched on the suffering of the Palestinians in Gaza Strip in terms of aggression, suffocating siege, and great scarcity of food resources, pointing out that this matter requires parliamentarians to play a greater role in stopping the aggression against Gaza, and quickly allowing food and medical aid to enter the strip. The Shura Council also participated in the hearing of the candidates for the presidency of the Inter-Parliamentary Union for the next session, in the presence of President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Duarte Pacheco and Secretary-General of the Union Martin Chungong.
