Qatar Stresses Need to Hold Those Responsible for Human Rights Violations Against Journalists Accountable

Qatar Stresses Need to Hold Those Responsible for Human Rights Violations Against Journalists Accountable

Geneva - information office - 26 June

The State of Qatar stressed the need to ensure that those responsible for human rights violations against journalists should be hold accountable.

This came in the speech delivered by the Second Secretary of the Permanent Mission of Qatar to the United Nations Office at Geneva Abdullah Al Suwaidi today during the session of "The interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and the Special Rapporteur on the right to education", under item III, within the framework of the work of the forty-one session of the Human Rights Council.

Al Suwaidi said that Qatar has taken note of the report of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions submitted to the Council in document A /HRC/41/36 and its annex contained in document A/HRC/41/CRP.1, entitled "Investigation into the unlawful death of Mr. Jamal Khashoggi", adding that in this regard, Qatar reiterates its support for the recommendations contained in the documents, and stresses the importance of protecting journalists from all violations of their rights, primarily the right to life, physical integrity and the right to freedom of opinion and expression.

Al Suwaidi asked the Special Rapporteur about what steps she intends to follow to implement the recommendations contained in the documents.

With regard to the report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to education, Al Suwaidi added said that Qatar agrees with the view of the Special Rapporteur concerning the importance of working towards the achievement of goal 4 of sustainable development on ensuring equitable and universal education for all.

Al Suwaidi underlined the close link between the objectives of sustainable development and the implementation by States of their human rights obligations.

He stressed that education is at the forefront of Qatar's priorities, a key part of the national development strategy, a key milestone for human development, and one of the pillars of Qatar National Vision 2030.

He said that the State of Qatar has succeeded in establishing an advanced education system by providing an appropriate educational environment, pointing out that the education sector has seen a significant interest in government spending by increasing spending allocations in this sector to more than 13 percent of GDP.

He pointed out that the State of Qatar ranked first in the Arab countries and the fifth globally, according to the latest classification of the World Economic Forum for the quality of the educational system for 2017/2018.

Al Suwaidi thanked Agnes Callamard, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, and Koumbou Boly Barry, Special Rapporteur on the right to education for their reports to the Council at this session, praising their valuable efforts in carrying out their mandates.