The National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) has signed a co-operation agreement with the Ombudsman Office of Turkiye with the aim of strengthening partnership through utilising the expertise and capabilities available to the two parties, to achieve a sustainable and effective response to all humanitarian and human rights activities.

The agreement was signed by HE the Chairperson of National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Maryam bint Abdullah al-Attiyah and Chief Ombudsman of Turkiye Mehmet Akarca.

The NHRC said in a statement Saturday that the agreement aims to intensify co-operation and develop strategies and action plans, as well as the exchange of technical and institutional experiences between them.

The statement said that the agreement stipulates that the two parties should include the exchange of Information, laws and legislations, analytical materials and literature in the field of promoting and protecting human rights, as well as the exchange of experiences in the implementation of the parties' international obligations in the field of human rights, assistance in human rights issues and freedoms for citizens of Turkiye in Qatar, and citizens of Qatar in Turkiye in addition to mutual assistance in the field of promoting and protecting human rights and freedoms for citizens of both countries, in accordance with the competencies of the parties.

NHRC added that the agreement also covers the implementation of joint programmes and projects aimed at conducting research on the protection of human rights and freedoms.

In a related context, HE the NHRC Chairperson during her meeting with Chief Ombudsman Akarca reviewed the joint efforts between the committee and the office.

She added that Turkiye is one of the leading countries in the field of legislation related to women's rights, as it has signed the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), as well as the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, in addition, it has amended its constitution and laws to ensure the protection and promotion of women's rights in various fields, noting that Qatar has also ratified the convention on the elimination of discrimination against women, adding that it pays great attention to the development of the human rights situation of women, and the promotion of their rights.

HE al-Attiyah proposed organising a joint training course focused on countering domestic violence and combating violence against women, with the aim of exchanging experiences and effective legislation between the two countries, enhancing awareness about ways to protect women from violence, supporting the capabilities of professionals working in this field, as well as organising a second specialised event highlighting these topics, to exchange knowledge and enhance dialogue on justice and human rights issues, expressing her aspiration that this event will be an opportunity to provide new insights by discussing ways to promote justice and human rights in the context of contemporary legal issues.

She provided an overview of the NHRC in terms of its origin and mechanisms of work in human rights awareness and education, methods of receiving complaints, visits and monitoring, as well as providing an overview of the most important features of the strategic plan of the NHRC 2024-2030.

HE al-Attiyah gave an explanation about the committee's interaction at the international level in terms of its leadership of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), and as the first woman at the level of the Asian continent and the Arab region to chair the GANHRI.

HE the NHRC Chairperson also met with Adviser to the Turkish President and former Chief Ombudsman Seref Malkoc, where she stressed the committee's readiness to co-operate with all governmental, national and non-governmental mechanisms and institutions concerned with human rights in Turkiye through the exchange of experiences, expertise and best practices.

During the meeting, she reviewed the human rights challenges in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in light of the continuation of the policy of double standards and the continuation of impunity, pointing to the efforts exerted by the NHRC and the Arab Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ANNHRI) in this regard, through communication with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, and communication with other international officials with a view to ending the violations suffered by the Palestinian people.
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