Doha: HE National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Chairperson Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah met Monday in Doha with United Nations Development Program (UNDP)’s Head of Rule of Law, Security, and Human Rights Katy Thompson. In attendance was Head of UNDP Office in Doha Biplove Choudhary.
According to Qatar News Agency, the NHRC stated that the meeting focused on activating the partnership between both parties, enhancing regional cooperation, and boosting the capacities of national human rights institutions to tackle human rights challenges. Discussions also revolved around providing innovative digital solutions and promoting conversations on digital rights to advance human rights monitoring, advocacy, and education.
A tripartite coordination meeting was conducted between the NHRC, the Doha-based Arab Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ANNHRI), and the UNDP. The parties emphasized the importance of maintaining the partnership and leveraging Qatar’s experience as a hub for convening meetings and exchanging knowledge for national human rights institutions in the Arab region. The focus was on common priorities, including environmental rights, labor rights, and gender equality, along with organizing conferences in Doha on crucial topics like business and human rights, digital ethics, AI, and the intersection of human rights and climate justice.
The meeting called for utilizing Qatar’s participation in global human rights mechanisms to facilitate strategic and technical knowledge exchange for effective advocacy in the region. It also stressed the establishment of a repository in Doha for best practices and case studies and enhancing the work of national human rights institutions in implementing effective policies and programs.
The NHRC reiterated its readiness to collaborate with the UNDP on achieving the objectives of the NHRC’s 2024-2030 strategy that align with UNDP’s goals, noting the initiation of a roundtable meeting with the United Nations House in the first quarter of this year to coordinate executive activities.
ANNHRI officials highlighted the success of their previous collaborations with the UNDP, particularly in building and enhancing the capacities of member national institutions, unifying opinions on topics of common interest, completing a methodological guide for monitoring human rights during elections, and cooperating in implementing activities.
The ANNHRI recommended completing the elections program through training initiatives and further cooperation with the UNDP to spread human rights culture at governmental and popular levels, and empower institutions. They also emphasized targeting government cadres and parliaments to align national legislation with international human rights standards, addressing local challenges, and working regionally.
Furthermore, the ANNHRI called for cooperation with the UNDP in drafting a training plan to enhance the capacity of member national institutions in using digital technology and AI, developing their monitoring capabilities, and preparing impact measurement reports through effective documentation and analysis.