Qatar speaks out against racism at the Durban II UN Summit

Dunia Al-Mohammedi
For Al-Shorfa.com
2009-04-30

Qatar

DOHA — Qatar recently expressed its solidarity with the struggle against ethnic and racial discrimination at the Durban II anti-racism conference sponsored by the UN in Geneva.

On April 20, Qatari Deputy Foreign Minister Saif Muqaddam Al-Buainain expressed his and his country's deep concern at the increase in religiously motivated crimes against Muslims and Arabs throughout the world in recent years.

He added that the state of Qatar has made extensive efforts on the legislative, institutional and educational fronts to combat racism and racial discrimination, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance. He said the state pays great attention to strengthening and protecting human rights on the local, regional and international level and has been consistent in its fight against racism, discrimination and xenophobia.

Al-Buainain asserted that ever since Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani assumed leadership of Qatar, he has emphasized that human rights lie at the heart of constitutional, political, economic, social and cultural reforms. He added that this view has been reflected in the development and improvement of the human rights infrastructure on the legislative and institutional levels.

The state of Qatar has acceded to a number of relevant international conventions, including the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination on July 24, 1976; the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid on July 18, 1976; and International Labour Organisation Convention Number 111 with respect to employment and occupational discrimination.

Qatar's contribution to capacity-building efforts at the international level has taken form through cooperation with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to establish a UN centre for training and certification in the field of human rights for southwest Asia and the Arab region in Doha, Buainian concluded.

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