Geneva/Information Office/ 27 February 2017/ HE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi said that Qatar pursued a comprehensive development policy to promote, respect and protect the rights of all individuals, in keeping with the principles of the permanent constitution which put an emphasis on justice, freedom, equality and equal opportunities for all.

HE the minister added that Qatar will continue to promote and protect human rights and freedoms, pointing out that thanks to these policies and development programs the State of Qatar attained in recent years advanced rankings according to world development indicators.

Addressing the meeting of High-Level Segment of the 34th Regular Session Human Rights Council being held in Geneva, HE the minister of state for foreign affairs said that national legislations related to human rights and Qatar National Vision 2030 which places the human person at the center of development, coupled with the first national development strategy 2011-2016 as well as the second draft strategy 2017-2022, all of which formed a supportive and enabling environment for the implementation of human rights obligations under international treaties and conventions which Qatar has joined.

His Excellency pointed out that Qatar has made significant strides in many key areas to improve human rights, especially in education and health, and it has also made significant progress in the promotion and protection of the rights of women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

HE the minister of state for foreign affairs added that Qatar's efforts in the promotion and protection of human rights were not only limited to national level, but went beyond that to include its foreign policy that aimed at strengthening and promoting international and regional cooperation to carry out humanitarian, developmental, regional and international initiatives in many economic and social fields and help many countries to implement development goals.

The State of Qatar is also striving to support peace and security to achieve international and regional stability through mediation efforts undertaken to find a fair and lasting solutions to a number of crises and conflicts, he added.

His Excellency said that the Doha international center organizes an annual conference on interfaith dialogue, which seeks to spread the culture of dialogue and acceptance of others and peaceful coexistence among followers of different religions, pointing to Qatar hosting of the US-Islamic World Forum.

He said that as part of addressing the challenges facing the region in the field of human rights Qatar organized forums and conferences to address the issues of the region, pointing out that Doha hosted on 20 and 21 this month the International Conference on 'Human Rights Approach to Conflict Situations in the Arab Region'.

He said that the suffering of the Syrian people at the hands of the current regime reveals the extent of the gross violation of international humanitarian law and international law as well as the savagery of the repressive and brutality practices in the field of human rights about which the United Nations which is tasked with international security and peace failed to take an active role to protect the Syrian human rights.

Qatar emphasized time and time again that international inaction in stopping the killings and the systematic oppression policy pursued by the Syrian regime and the lack of accountability for perpetrators of war crimes committed by the regime have exacerbated the situation and the tragedy of the Syrian people.

HE Al Muraikhi highlighted the flagrant violations of the rights of the Palestinian people who live under oppression and have their properties destroyed and lands confiscated at the hands of Israeli occupation, pointing to the attempts to Judaize Jerusalem despite a UNESCO resolution that reaffirmed Al Aqsa Mosque as a completely Islamic holy place, in addition to the unjust siege of Gaza and the continued illegal settlement activity. 
The state minister of foreign affairs reiterated Qatar's strong condemnation of Israeli Knesset's recent ratification of the law on legalizing settlement, which constitutes a blatant infringement of the rights of the Palestinian people and a flagrant violation of international law and the relevant resolutions of international legitimacy, especially Security Council resolution No. 2334, issued in December 2016, and undermines international efforts to implement the two-state solution.

On Yemen, HE Al Muraikhi said that the flagrant violations and heinous crimes against the unarmed innocent civilian Yemenis are revealed every day as the war instigated by coup militias and forces associated with ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh continues. He added that urgent and effective measures are required to end all forms of coup, protect the Yemeni people and push towards a political process in line with the Gulf Initiative and its executive mechanism as well as the outputs of the national dialogue and the relevant Security Council resolutions so as to protect and enhance human rights and achieve the ambitions of the Yemeni people.

As for the situation of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar, HE the minister expressed Qatar's grave concern about the details included in the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, noting that what is happening there is a horrific human tragedy that happened due to the failure of the international community to act decisively as it ignored the issue for several years.

He called on the government of Myanmar to take decisive actions to stop violence and discrimination against the Rohingya Muslim minority and eradicate the reasons for the problem while working to ensure a real dialogue among the different segments of society in a way that promotes peaceful coexistence and enhances social and economic development in Myanmar's Rakhine State.

HE Al Muraikhi said the international arena is witnessing serious events and variables that resulted in grave violations of human rights in many parts of the world, praising the joint efforts in strengthening the role of the Human Rights Council across the world.

However, he added that the serious human rights challenges at the moment require more efforts that enable the council to fulfill the noble goals for which it was established, notably promoting universal respect for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without discrimination.

He said that such an end can't be achieved without enhancing cooperation at the individual and social levels, building trust and mutual respect and serious work towards consolidating tolerance, peaceful coexistence and acceptance of the other, while also not adopting policies that provoke dispute and disagreement.

Concluding his address, HE Al Muraikhi stressed Qatar's commitment to constant cooperation with the Human Rights Council in order to enable it to fulfill its mandate in an optimal manner.