In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate
President of the Human Rights Council,
High Commissioner for Human Rights,
Heads of Delegations,
Distinguished guests,
Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings
It is my pleasure to begin by greeting you all. I am pleased to participate in the work of the Council for this session, which we hope will contribute to the achievement of its objectives.
It is a pleasure that my country has the honor to renew its membership in this Council, and I thank the states that have given us their confidence with regards to this membership.
Mr. President
The world faces serious challenges in the forms of armed conflicts, increased unrest due to acts of violent extremism, intolerance and terrorism, the use of unilateral coercive measures in violation of international law and human rights charters and in contradiction to the principle of peaceful relations between states, all of which cast a negative light on human rights. These challenges and violations deprive many individuals and communities of their fundamental rights and freedoms, as expressed in international human rights charters.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Unfortunately despite the growing global interest in the protection of human rights we find that there are flagrant and grave violations of these rights in many regions of the world.
I informed the Council during its last session of the human rights violations caused by the illegal blockade and unilateral coercive measures taken by the blockade countries against the Qatari people. These violations were confirmed in the Technical Mission of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights' recent report after visiting Qatar last November. The report included an objective and systematic description of the flagrant and grave violations of human rights by the blockade countries against the citizens and residents of both the State of Qatar and in their own countries, which has continued to this date.
Based on the proper legal stance of the State of Qatar and in defense of its legitimate rights, from this platform, I invite the Human Rights Council and all its divisions, particularly the Special Procedures Division, to assume its responsibilities and mandates to work to stop the human rights violations of these unilateral coercive racist measures, to hold those responsible accountable, and to compensate those affected.
Mr. President,
What is baffling and surprising, at the same time, is that the countries that have imposed these unilateral coercive measures on my country are members of the main group that submitted the Human Rights Council Resolution on "Human Rights and Unilateral Coercive Measures", including countries who are members of this Council.
This strange behavior in dealing with the decisions of the Council reflects the great contradiction between the convictions of these countries and their policies on one hand and on the other hand contradictions between their positions and orientations within the Council. Not only does this behavior question the credibility and seriousness of these countries, but it constitutes a curtailment of the Council's work and efforts, which requires maintaining the reputation and credibility of this Council.
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
What the Syrian people in the eastern city of Ghouta are facing, in full view of the whole world, at the hands of the current regime, is a disgrace to humanity. It reveals how indifferent this regime is to international law and international humanitarian law, and the brutality of the abuses against human rights. The divisions of the United Nations on international peace and security have failed to do their part to protect the rights of the Syrian people. This means the international community is required to take all necessary measures to face the Syrian regime in order to implement the Security Council Resolutions related to the ceasefire and protection of the Syrian people. In addition, efforts must be intensified to stop the policy of killing, the oppression, the war crimes, the Syrian regime's systematic crimes against humanity, and to bring the perpetrators of these heinous crimes to international justice.
We reaffirm the need for the international community, especially the Security Council, to shoulder its legal and moral responsibilities and not to abandon selectivity in order to reach a policy settlement on the Syrian crisis. This should be done in accordance with the Geneva Declaration (1) to achieve the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people for freedom, justice and dignity.
We call upon the international community to provide all aspects of humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people in order to meet their urgent needs, and Qatar will spare no effort to provide such assistance.
Mr. President,
The Palestinian people are still under the yoke of occupation and these oppressed people have endured wars and scourges. In addition to the fact that the occupation itself violates the values of freedom and peaceful civilizational coexistence reached by human civilization. The decades of Israeli occupation have been accompanied by a wide range of illegal practices that constitute a clear violation of international law and relevant Security Council Resolutions. This requires Israel to stop these violations and breaches, stop the use of brutal military force against innocent civilians, lift the siege on the Gaza Strip, and to cease the settlement policy.
We call on the international community to strive to protect the rights of the Palestinian people, and the realization of the two-state dream agreed by the international community in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy, the Arab Peace Initiative, and other international references. We call for an end the occupations, and to establish the State of Palestine based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Regarding Yemen, we call on all Yemeni parties to engage positively towards achieving genuine national reconciliation, end the ongoing conflict and put an end to the suffering and gross violations of the rights of the brotherly Yemeni people. We call upon the international community to exert all efforts to implement the Security Council Resolutions relating to Yemen, including Resolution No. 2216 of 2015, and to take all measures to address the grave humanitarian situations facing the brotherly Yemeni people, and to facilitate the access of humanitarian assistance to various areas of Yemen, and to prevent the use of such humanitarian assistance to achieve political gains for any party.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Protecting and promoting human rights is at the forefront of the State of Qatar's priorities, and it continues its efforts in this regard at an institutional and legislative level, in accordance with its National Vision 2030 including all its economic, social, political and cultural dimensions. This vision is aimed at achieving a comprehensive and integrated development based on the preservation of human dignity, the promotion and protection of their rights within the framework of justice and equality, and the consolidation of all fundamental freedoms.
In this context, the State of Qatar has made great strides and achieved many of the Millennium Development Goals, as well as the Sustainable Development Goals, and has been at the forefront of countries in the region in the human development reports of recent years.
Within the framework of promoting national participation, legislative tools are currently being prepared for the Shura Council elections. In the field of workers' rights, the legislative and service structures have witnessed significant developments to provide a dignified life for Qatar's guests who are involved in building its renaissance. According to the statistics of October 2017, approximately 2.4 million workers benefitted from the unified wage protection system.
In the areas of strategic planning for human rights, the State of Qatar is currently seeking to adopt the National Human Rights Plan, which will be adopted in accordance with international standards.
On a regional and international level, the State of Qatar continues its efforts to promote and protect human rights by engaging positively with all relevant international and regional institutions. I would like to point out that the State of Qatar continues with all its governmental and non-governmental humanitarian institutions to provide developmental assistance and humanitarian assistance to those in need, as a result of disasters and conflicts in many parts of the world.
Mr. President,
To conclude, I would to stress that the State of Qatar will persist in its approach of safeguarding, promoting and protecting human rights at all local, regional and international levels, based on its firm belief and conviction in these rights. I would also like to emphasize the continuing role of the State of Qatar's policy of constructive international cooperation, which includes supporting the work of this Council to enable it to achieve its noble objectives in the best possible manner.
Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings