Algeria                                                                                                                                                                                                    16 Oct 2017                                                                                                                                                                                          (NHRC)

Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al-Marri, Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee of Qatar affirmed that the monitoring, documenting and dissemination of humanitarian cases resulting from the crisis and siege on the State of Qatar and ways to help them are currently considered a priority by the National Human Rights Committee, especially the situation of workers, and monitoring the situation of all the most vulnerable groups such as women, children, persons with disabilities, detainees and others.

This came during the workshop presented by Dr. Al-Marri at the General Assembly meeting of the Arab Network of National Human Rights Institutions held in the Algerian Republic on the developments of the National Human Rights Committee and the challenges it faces and its proposals for the Arab Network.

Al-Marri revealed that in 2017 the committee received (2084) complaints from residents and (3600) complaints to citizens regarding the violations of the siege imposed on the State of Qatar. He told that the National Committee for Human Rights investigated non-interference in political affairs in the Gulf crisis.

He said that the cooperation between the National Human Rights Commission and the National Council for Human Rights in Egypt can be considered a best practice among national human rights institutions, Political conflict and focus on the humanitarian side.

Al-Marri said “The inhuman embargo has caused the State of Qatar several human rights violations, most notably the right to family reunification, where the families of one Gulf family have been cut off, and families, especially women, children, persons with disabilities. Denial of mothers and fathers to stay with their children.

He siad ‘ Arbitrary measures and decisions have also prevented hundreds of students from completing their studies in flagrant violation of the right to education, as well as the loss and destruction of hundreds of camels and cattle. The owners have been prevented from pursuing, using, disposing of or disposing of their private property. Which constituted a gross violation of the right to private property.

The violations also included the right to freedom of movement and residence, the right to health, the right to work and the right to freedom of opinion and expression. The right to worship and to practice religious rituals are not permitted. The pilgrims from Qatar were prevented from performing Umrah, Hajj this year is first of its kind.

On the developments in the humanitarian situation in Qatar, Al-Marri stated that the issuance of the Law on Organizing Domestic Users and the establishment of the Committee for the Settlement of Labor Disputes is very positive in the desire of the State to harmonize its laws with national and international human rights mechanisms.

Pointing out that the Committee for the resolution of labor disputes provides a quick mechanism to reach justice and remedies for workers without any financial burden. Pointing out that the National Committee for Human Rights recommended that more efforts should be made to improve the conditions of workers in Qatar, the most recent of which is the recommendation on the need to apply a system for collecting occupational health and safety data.

The collection of national data on occupational health and safety indicators should be comprehensive and provide accurate information and statistics on the number and nature of occupational accidents and diseases and the number of deaths. Which will help employers, insurance companies, labor inspectors and occupational health and safety agencies use data for planning and policy-making to protect workers.

The concept of the right to decent work was one of the principles of human rights, which the United Nations and the International Labor Organization sought to secure for workers in order to earn their living freely, in dignity and safety.

The ILO strongly rejected the notion that “diseases and injuries” were part of the work. Dr. Al-Marri said that the Arab Network for National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI) will adopt this issue and put it within its next strategy and action plan, and organize a workshop on this issue in cooperation with the ILO and other partners in the UNHCR and the UNDP.