Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Dr Ali bin Smaikh al-Marri has outlined the role of NHRC locally and regionally during a lecture held yesterday in co-operation with Qatar Leadership Centre for the students of the Centre.   
While giving a detailed explanation on the concept of human rights, al-Marri said that national human rights institutions are established by governments in order to promote and protect human rights at the national level, pointing out that the establishment of these institutions is through legislation or inclusion into the Constitution of the State. 
The NHRC chairman also touched on the responsibilities of national human rights institutions, saying that they include submitting proposals and recommendations to governments on various humanitarian issues as well as on the promotion of human rights education and related research along with planning programmes and awareness campaigns, among others. 
With regard to the National Human Rights Committee, al-Marri said that Qatar has developed a system of national mechanisms for the protection and promotion of human rights, the most important of which is the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC). The NHRC promulgated through the Decree Law No. 38 of 2002 as a national institution for the promotion and protection of human rights in Qatar and in light of the “Paris Principles”, he added.
Al-Marri said the NHRC is neither a governmental entity nor a civil society institution. It is a national official committee of a special nature and it can neither be described as an administrative entity in its narrow sense nor a decision-making body. On the one hand, the NHRC is considered to be an advisory body concerned with human rights at the national level of authorities and administrative bodies in the state. On the other hand, it receives and investigate complaints from individuals or groups, he said.
Al-Marri then discussed the powers of the National Human Rights Committee. One of them is following up and enhancing the goals of international agreements regarding human rights. The committee can also recommend to the Qatari state, joining a particular human rights accord.
Furthermore, NHRC can look into any reported violations to human rights in the country and reporting to the authorised state bodies.
The committee can also recommend ways to prevent such violations from occurring in the future, al-Marri added. 
Al-Marri noted that the committee receives complaints regarding human rights violation from individuals and organisations alike regardless of whether they were citizens, expats or tourists.