Doha - Media & Communication Dept. - June 01

The five-day regional training course on the interaction with international human rights mechanisms, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in cooperation with the UN Training and Documentation Center for Southwest Asia and the Arab Region and the GCC General Secretariat, concluded its works on Thursday.

The course, which was attended by 26 stakeholders in the field of human rights in the GCC state, included a series of basic themes related to international human rights mechanisms, with a focus on the international mechanisms and how to deal with them, particularly human rights bodies, the comprehensive international review, special procedures, and treaty bodies and committees related to human rights and human rights conventions.
In this regard, HE Director of MOFA's Human Rights Department, Dr. Turki bin Abdullah Al Mahmoud stressed that the course aimed to raise awareness and build human capacities for human rights activists within the framework of the State of Qatar's commitment to the Gulf strategy on human rights, which benefits the citizens and residents by promoting and protecting these rights in the GCC states. He pointed out that 26 participants from all over the GCC states and from various government agencies and institutions participated in the training course to raise their capabilities in matters related to human rights at the international level, such as international standards and agreements, international treaty bodies, the Human Rights Council and Human Trafficking, the international human rights system, along with other important topics that fall under international human rights law.
His Excellency added that the training course represented an opportunity to exchange experiences and positive practices among the participants, which led to the creation of a healthy and positive environment to find practical solutions to some of the challenges that may face those involved in the field of protecting and promoting human rights.
For her part, Director of UN Training and Documentation Center for Southwest Asia and the Arab Region Dr. Abeer Al Khraisha indicated that the five-day course was an opportunity to exchange experiences and expertise between the representatives of the participating countries, especially since most of them are people who participate in the preparation of human rights reports in their countries or in the sessions that follow these various mechanisms. She indicated that the course hosted a group of lecturers from the European Union, the United States, the GCC General Secretariat, and other parties that contributed to enriching the discussion and the training course.
She pointed out that the training methods used in that course varied between interactive and discussion presentations, working groups, and a mock session of one of the treaty bodies sessions, through which the participants were able to get acquainted in depth with these mechanisms provided by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the secretariat, the technical secretariat, and technical support. She stressed the keenness of the office of the UN Training and Documentation Center for Southwest Asia and the Arab Region - affiliated with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights - on providing training courses - specifically specialized regional courses - in various fields of human rights, and helping states to fulfill their obligations, in addition to directing other sectors specialized in human rights, including civil society organizations, diplomats, and official and private bodies, and organizing training courses on an ongoing basis for all workers in the field of human rights.