The Shura Council consists of a number of organs, the first of which is the presidency. The Shura Council elects in its first session of the annual ordinary session a speaker, a deputy speaker, and two or more observers as needed by secret ballot and relative majority. The Shura Council Office consists of the speaker, deputy speaker, and two observers.
The Shura Council has five permanent committees formed during the first week of each annual ordinary session from among its members, namely: Legal and Legislative Affairs Committee; Financial and Economic Affairs Committee; Public Services and Utilities Committee; Internal and External Affairs Committee; and Cultural Affairs and Information Committee. The Council may form other permanent and temporary committees according to the need, and each permanent or temporary committee may form one or more sub-committees from its members. The committees submit to the Speaker of the Shura Council a report on each subject referred to it within thirty days at most from the date of referral, unless the Council decides otherwise.
The Shura Council exercises its powers to adopt, approve, or even reject some laws from the draft laws and other matters presented to it. The Council is competent to discuss and propose many issues, the most important of which is the discussion of draft laws, decrees by laws, and the general policy of the state in the political, economic and administrative aspects, which are referred to it by the Council of Ministers, as well as the affairs of the country in the social and cultural fields in general and referred to it by the Council of Ministers or considered on its own initiative.
The Shura Council also discusses the draft budget for public projects, the Councils draft budget and its final account. It is also responsible for following up on the states activities and achievements regarding all matters referred to it by the Council of Ministers, as well as all matters related to the social and cultural fields, whether these matters were referred to it by the Council of Ministers or considered on its own initiative. It also directs questions to the ministers with the intention of clarifying a specific matter related to the affairs that fall within its jurisdiction and to make recommendations and express desires to the government regarding the matters referred to.
In terms of its external activity, the Shura Council strengthened its parliamentary relations with parliamentary assemblies in various countries of the world, received many visiting parliamentary delegations, hosted many international events and activities concerned with parliamentary affairs, and also participated in many regional and international parliamentary conferences, highlighting the bright image of the State of Qatar, its clear policies, and its firm positions towards various issues, while defending the interests of the nation, its citizens, and just Arab and international issues. The Council succeeded in reaching agreements with the UN regarding the establishment of the Programme Office on Parliamentary Engagement in Preventing and Countering Terrorism (UNOCT) in Doha, which activities cover all parliaments of countries around the world.
The Shura Council represents the State of Qatar in parliamentary unions and international organizations, including the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), Arab Inter-parliamentary Union (AIPU), Arab Parliament, Conference of Union of Councils of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Member States, Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA), Association of Senates, Shura Councils, and similar councils in Africa and the Arab world.
Source: Qatar News Agency