VZCZCXRO4602
RR RUEHDE
DE RUEHDO #0213/01 0441031
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 131031Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY DOHA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4254
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DOHA 000213 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL SOCI QA
SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS STANDARDS IN QATAR,S LEGISLATION 
 
¶1. Summary: At a recent workshop sponsored by the National 
Human Rights Committee (NHRC), participants examined and 
discussed the extent to which Qatar's constitution and 
legislation meets international human rights standards. 
Participants from the government sector, academia, the press 
and quasi civil society organizations freely debated areas of 
strengths and weaknesses in Qatari legislation and welcomed 
the opportunity to express these views openly in front of a 
diverse audience. They were notably critical of laws that 
diverged from constitutional provisions by sanctioning 
discrimination and undermining the rights of citizens. End 
Summary. 
 
------------------------ 
WORKSHOP ON HUMAN RIGHTS 
------------------------ 
 
¶2. As part of a broader campaign aimed at raising awareness 
about human rights, the National Human Rights Committee 
(NHRC) recently held a workshop on human rights in Qatar's 
constitution and legislation.  In his welcoming remarks to 
participants, Ali Bin Simaikh Al-Marri, secretary general of 
the NHRC, observed that Qatar had witnessed a revolution in 
legislation during 2004-2005. This development in turn 
created the need for educating citizens about their rights 
and duties. The workshop was attended by approximately 35 men 
and women from, among others, the general prosecution, the 
ministries of Interior, Justice and Civil Service Affairs, 
the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, Qatar Foundation for 
the Protection of Women and Children, the General Authority 
for Charitable Works, and news media. 
 
--------------------- 
CONSTITUTIONAL DIVIDE 
--------------------- 
 
¶3. The three-day workshop was composed of lectures followed 
by question-and-answer sessions. Presenters included 
prominent professors from Qatar University: Dr. Yousef 
Obaidan from the political science department, Drs. Hassan 
Al-Sayyed and Fawzi Seddiq from the Law Faculty, and legal 
counselors from the NHRC, Mohammed Fouad and Sayyed Gad 
Allah. Presenters addressed civil and political rights, and 
economic, social and cultural rights, respectively, as 
enshrined in the UN International Covenants on Civil and 
Political Rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. 
Participants were provided with an overview of the provisions 
of both Covenants and then had the opportunity to analyze the 
extent to which the Qatari constitution and other legislation 
provided for those rights. 
 
¶4. During the workshop, participants questioned the rationale 
of drafters for using other GCC constitutions and legislation 
as models for Qatar, in light of the problems that have 
emerged after the promulgation of those constitutions. They 
questioned the enactment of laws inconsistent with 
constitutional provisions and commented that the inability to 
reconcile these discrepancies undermines the rights of 
citizens and call into question the legitimacy of the 
constitution. Participants referred to the case of Kuwait. 
Some laws there discriminate against residents known as 
"bidouns," i.e., those without nationality, although the 
constitution confirms the equality of all people before the 
law without distinction as to origin or other factors. Other 
inconsistencies were found in legislation affecting women. 
Participants gave as example nationality laws which, they 
assert, discriminate against women by not allowing them to 
confer nationality on their husbands. In so doing, the laws 
sanction discrimination against women and facilitate their 
unequal treatment, direct contradictions to constitutional 
provisions. 
 
------------------------ 
THE RIGHT TO ENVIRONMENT 
------------------------ 
 
¶5. On the topic of the environment, participants agreed that 
the government had taken the positive initiative of 
protecting the environment in Qatar and complied with the 
international laws and conventions on this issue even though 
pollution in Qatar had not yet reached alarming levels. 
However, the government still needs to address other 
environmental protection laws and give more attention to 
regional environmental issues affecting the waters and shores 
of Qatar. Participants highlighted the need to coordinate 
with other GCC States and international environmental bodies 
to keep the gulf waters and shores clean. 
 
------------------------------- 
EXPRESSION & GOVERNMENT CONTROL 
------------------------------- 
 
¶7. In the final session of the workshop focused on the "right 
 
DOHA 00000213  002 OF 002 
 
 
of opinion and expression," participants voiced concern about 
the lack of legislation on this matter. Although the 
constitution provide for freedom of expression, in practice, 
anyone can be criminalized for expressing his or her opinion 
on certain topics such as the ruling family and "sensitive 
political issues." Other areas of concern included: the 
inability of members of parliament to express their views 
except inside parliament or in one of the committees; the 
lack of a body or institution to ensure that governmental 
actions and legislation are not in conflict with the 
constitution; and the constitutionality of the law of 
publications which restricts what gets published in the 
media. Final comments addressed the composition of the NHRC. 
According to the presenter, the structure of the NHRC 
violates the Paris Principles, the UN Resolution that 
established the role, composition, status and functions of 
national human rights institutions. The participants asserted 
that, contrary to the Paris Principles, the NHRC includes 
government representatives on the board whose role exceeded 
that of simply serving in an advisory capacity. 
 
-------------- 
THE RIGHT PATH 
-------------- 
 
¶8. Overall, participants were very satisfied with the 
workshop. They acknowledged the novelty of the experience 
itself and the opportunity it provided them to discuss in a 
public forum human rights in the constitution and 
legislation. While participants recognized that some 
legislation and practices were weak or incompatible with 
regard to international human rights norms and standards and 
that legislative reform was still needed in particular areas, 
they agreed that Qatar is on the right path. 
 
¶9. Embassy Comment. The workshop was a timely and unique 
event in that 1) Qatar's constitution came into force last 
June and 2) it represented the first time that members of the 
government and civil society were able to openly debate 
strengths and weaknesses in the constitution and legislation. 
Although open debate about such issues is still a sensitive 
matter, these participants appeared to exchange views freely. 
Another positive outcome of the workshop was that the 
participants appeared determined to continue playing an 
active role in these types of public debates. The workshop 
also received extensive coverage by the press. The more 
animated debates on using other GCC constitutions as models 
for the Qatari one and laws discriminating against women, 
however, were absent in the reports. End Comment. 
UNTERMEYER