Establishment

Following the approval of a draft law submitted by the Council of Ministers, the Emir of the State of Qatar issued Decree Law No. 38 in 2002 which established the National Human Rights Committee of Qatar. This was subsequently amended by Decree Law 17 of 2010, which sets out the mandate of the Committee.

Role and functions

The National Human Rights Committee of Qatar has a wide mandate to protect and promote human rights, including:

• To propose necessary means to promote and pursue the objectives outlined in international conventions and instruments on human rights, to which the State of Qatar has become a party, and to recommend on the State's accession to other human rights conventions and instruments.
• To advise and provide recommendations to the concerned authorities regarding human rights issues.
• To consider any abuses or violations of human rights, to get involved in the settlement of complaints reported to it on such violations, to coordinate with the competent authorities for necessary action, and to propose ways to address and prevent them from being repeated.
• To make the necessary suggestions to those who are concerned with existing legislations and proposed draft laws, and their relevance to the provisions of international conventions on human rights to which the State of Qatar has become a party.
• To monitor human rights status in the country, to prepare related reports, and submit such reports to the Council of Ministers together with the NHRC's opinion in this regard.
• To monitor issues that might be raised regarding human rights status in the country and to coordinate with the concerned authorities to address such issues.
• To take part in the preparation of national reports intended to be submitted by the State of Qatar to international bodies and organizations concerned with human rights regarding the conventions to which the State has become a party.
• To cooperate with international, regional, and national organizations concerned with human rights and freedoms.

APF membership

The National Human Rights Committee of Qatar has been an APF member since 2005 (10th Annual Meeting).

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