Cairo, 28 February 2022
2 day conference held in Cairo has stressed on the need for concerted efforts to address roots and causes of conflicts. It pressed also to strengthen Arab Judicial cooperation to Confront Terrorism.
Conference was organised by National Human Rights Committee of Qatar in collaboration and support of Arab Network for Human Rights Institutions (ANNHRI); National Committee for Human Rights in Egypt; Office of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); United Nations Development Program (UNDP); and General Secretariat of the League of Arab States.
The participants demanded that the goal of governments in regards to protection of rights of citizen be taken as protecting a human being when implementing the sustainable goals, which can only be achieved by providing economic empowerment to an individual ensuring the enjoyment of political and social freedom.
It is emphasized that development is indivisible and that the sustainable development goals are interconnected. Goal-16 as central ensures in achieving other goals too, however, for that political stability, securty, peace, democracy and
addressing the armed conflicts are essential.
It is pointed out that 2030 agenda is human rights agenda par excellence and identical to the same tools and methodologies which are used by human rights institutions for reporting, monitoring and measurement.
The participants noted the importance of involving human rights institutions for minitoring, reporting and measuring which helps achieving of agenda at state level and as well as early warning mechanisms in identifying main reasons of anti human rights violations, and marginalization of individuals in their societies.
They explained that serving the citizens and securing their needs are compass when making plan and allocating the budget. It reflects from the services like of health, education and sufficient income share of income provided to the citizens without discrimination, by keeping self dignity, equality and social justice.
It said that government sector is partner in the struggle for achieving the rights of all individuals and is integrated with rest of the stakeholders.
The participants of the conference stressed that the stability and development of the region as whole requires imposition of a political path for the settlement of Palestine issue by ending the occupation of Israeli apartheid government. The Palestinians to give right to determin their destiny on their land, to exploit their natural resources, develop their national economy and create development. All above will be achieved when international community assumes its legal and moral responsibilities and take effective intervenes.
The conference participants felt that to end and lift the siege on Gaza strip, to push pressure on the occupied forces to respect the human rights and humanitarian laws.
They stressed to work on all the goals of Goal 16 to prevent from violence and torture, to strengthen the rule of law and equal opportunities for access to justice, to combat all kinds of crimes including human trafficking, corruption, bribery, to reduce the flows of contraband, to ensure the protection of freedom and rights, to establish strong, effective and transparent, accountable institutions, to ensure public information in accordance to national legislation and international agreements.
The participants called for encouraging national human rights institutions to play active role on the national level in areas of implementation and follow ups to achieve development goals, specially Goal 16 through partnership with the stakeholders, organizations and civil societies in the Arab region and effective participation in various technical committees.
The participating experts emphasized that development goals should be integrated into the strategies and annual reports of national human rights organizations, and to link the complaint data base with the indicators of sustainable development goals.
It stressed on stakeholders to cooperate in creating real political will among the government departments to address the root cause of challenges that impede achieving the sustainable development goals, and in enhancing the space available for civil societies to transition to just, peaceful and to governments to strengthen the democratic atmosphere, freedom of opinion and expression.
They stressed on the importance of strengthening the efforts of national human rights organizations in raising the awareness on sustainable development goals.
Report by Ashraf Siddiqui
2nd Palestinians Abroad Conference took off in the morning of Saturday, in Istanbul, Turkey.
First conference was held five years before in February 2017 in Istanbul also joined by record number of 6,000 overseas Palestinians from almost 50 countries around the globe.
After a short list, around 1,200 Palestinians from 50 countries including Latin America, European countries, Asian to Arab region are participating in the 2022 Conference.
Participants in conference are from all ages, both gents and ladies, from all walks of life including educationists; writers; media personalities, professionals; business leaders; parliamentarians; artists; and think tanks.
Lebanon based artist Ahmad Qaaboud and Jordan based Shaza Shabana melodous national songs made the participants emotional and they paid tributes to the singers by standing ovation from their respective seats.
each of the over 1,000 participants carrying different unfortunate stories, gathered in Istanbul reaffirming their love and solidarity towards their motherland, to pledge continue their efforts jountly to liberate their motherland from illegal and brutal occupation of fascist invaders, to get their right to return back to their homeland and their voice be given weight by authorities in back home.
A series of panel discussions by the experts, presenting of report by the outgoing 25 members Executive Committee on last five years of outcome and development; election of 300 members of General Body; and election of Executive Committee members by the newly elected General Body; and discussion on the future road map in achieving the ultimate goals are main features of the conference.
Among the outgoing executive Committee members include Munir Shafiq, a renowned writer served as Secretary General during 2017-2022; Hisham Mahfooz, Deputy Secretary General; Majed Alzeer, outgoing President, General Council; and Mohammad AlAnsari, Secretary, General Council.
Munir Shafiq, Hisham Mahfooz and Majed Alazeer welcomed the participants and thanked for their support and cooperation during their tenure in achieving the goals.
They affirmed their continued support and efforts in future in achieving the ultimate goal of liberating the motherland and to return back to Palestine.
Talking to www.asiantelegraphqatar.com, Majed Alzeer, outgoing head of the 250 members General Council, Palestine Abroad, said that Palestinians Abroad forum is not a sole representative of seven million Palestinians living away from their motherland, we are trying to bring maximum our fellow Palestinians on one platform to exert our struggle jointly strengthening all the Palestinians living back home and else where. He said we are not any political group or struggling for power against anyone, we are a platform to strengthen our ranks where ever we are.
1,200 participants will be electing 300 members for the General Council tomorrow, Saturday.
Over seven million Palestinians are living outside Palestine and spread almost in 60 countries around the globe.
Doha, 22 Feb. 2022 (QNA)
6th Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) Summit underlined the importance of promoting natural gas as an abundant, affordable, clean, and reliable source of energy, and as the fuel of choice to satisfy the growing world energy needs, and to address climate change and improve air quality.
The Doha Declaration also called for encouraging the expanded use of natural gas domestically and internationally to address the gap in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7, which affects the most vulnerable; strengthen natural gas environmental credentials, in particular through efforts to reduce gas flaring and methane emissions, and the development of eco-friendly technologies, including carbon capture, utilization, and storage.
The Declaration stressed the need to pursue the necessary steps for natural gas to be treated as an environmentally friendly good in climate and investment regulations, international banking and global trade. Furthermore, to work with relevant stakeholders to co-develop joint initiatives for climate action, especially in view of COP27 Climate Change Conference, which will be hosted by Egypt this year; and to improve conditions for the international trade of gas, based on the most effective and efficient practices.
The Doha Declaration urged work towards increasing the share of natural gas in maritime and land transport, and to develop necessary infrastructure to provide natural gas to consumers; support the fundamental role of long-term gas contracts as well as the gas pricing based on oil/oil products indexation to ensure stable investments in development of natural gas resources; in addition to augment the positioning of the GECF by increasing its global visibility, attracting new members, promoting partnerships, facilitating dialogue between producers and consumers, and broadening cooperation with relevant international organizations and entities.
The Declaration called for harness the position of the GECF as the leading platform for its Member Countries to cooperate and coordinate on natural gas matters by further developing the Forums expertise, and mechanisms for joint undertakings; and expanding cooperation in natural gas technologies, scientifically-guided research, and innovation-led capacity-building, inter alia, through the GECF Gas Research Institute.
The Doha Declaration noted the need to explore new areas of cooperation within the GECF with a goal to leverage the advantages of natural gas for hydrogen production as well as production and utilization of new gases.
It stressed the need to collaborate within the GECF as well as with consumers and transit countries to protect critical gas infrastructure and to enhance resilience to natural disasters, technological incidents, and man-made threats, such as malicious use of information and communication technologies.
On the other hand, the Heads of State and Government welcomed the proposal of the Peoples Democratic Republic of Algeria to host the 7th GECF Summit in 2023.
Doha, 22 Feb. 2022 (QNA)
The National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) and the Doha-based Arab Network for National Human Rights Institutions (ANHRI) announced holding of international conference on the international solidarity and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development - Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, to be held in Cairo on Feb. 27 and 28.
The conference will be held in cooperation with National Council for Human Rights in Egypt; Office of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); United Nations Development Program (UNDP); and General Secretariat of the League of Arab States.
Experts and representatives of all 15 national human rights institutions members of the Arab Network, the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, civil society bodies, etc. will be participating.
Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah, Chairperson of NHRC Qatar and President of ANNHRI said the conference will discuss the issue of international solidarity and its relationship to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the centrality of Goal 16. Discussions on relevant measures related to the promotion of human rights and the role of national institutions will also take place.
She looks forward for recommendations and an action plan from the conference to be followed up; and to form a working group of regulators and relevant stakeholders to achieve this. The recommendations issued by the conference would serve as a compass to guide national human rights institutions and promote their role to assume their responsibilities for achieving 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
NHRC Qatar Chairperson noted that these recommendations will also encourage government sector to integrate with stakeholders and to adopt an approach that includes the whole of society, thus accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Moreover, expected conference out come will help in identifying opportunities for national human rights institutions to cooperate at the national and international levels, in the follow-up and implementation of Sustainable Development Goals, capacity-building, governance and human rights-based approaches.
Doha, 22 Feb. 2022
Today is 22.02.2022 (22nd February 2022).
Doha is city of remarkable, amazing and innovative structural buildings.
2022 building is situated opposite to prestigious specialised Aspetar Hospital, Aspire Zone.
It was unveiled by then Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani on 2nd of December 2019.
The unique building is design in the shape of numerals 2022.
The 60-thousand-square-metre mixed-use building includes administrative offices, meeting rooms, a lecture theatre, integrated health club, restaurants and cafes.
The building consists of four wings of five floors each.
Main Contractor of 2022 project was Al Bandary Engineering, Trading and Contracting, WLL and Laura International is the developer.
Picture: credit to What's Goin On Qatar
Doha, 21 Feb. 2022
Qatar's Minister of State for Energy Affairs chaired today extraordinary meeting of the ministers of Gas Exporting Countries Forum in Doha.
Al Kaabi in his address stressed on the importance of promoting natural gas as the fuel of choice in the global energy mix and in adding momentum to the forum's collective efforts to drive its role and messages forward, to encourage regional and international dialogue in transition to low carbon economies.
Al Ka'abi said that we should make sure the world must understand the gas is unequivocal part of the energy transition solution for many decades to come.
Qatar's State Minister for Energy Affairs reaffirmed Qatar's commitment to continue working hand in hand with the forum to promote the sustainable growth in the gas industry, and continue to present and promote natural gas as viable, abundant, flexable, cleaner and an economic solution in the transition to low carbon economies.
The GECF extraordinary ministerial meeting was held in preparation of the 6th Heads of state summit which will convene in Doha on Tuesday, tomorrow at the Hotel Grand Sheraton Doha
Doha, 20 Feb. 2022
Ambassador of Indonesia to Qatar, Ridwan Hassan and outgoing Chairman of ASEAN Committee in Qatar (ACD) hosted the 65th ACD Meeting recently. The Meeting was attended by seven ACD ambassadors including Mohamed Bahrin Abu Bakar, ambassador of Brunei Darussalam; Zamshari Shaharan, Ambassador of Malaysia; Alan Timbayan, Ambassador of the Philippines; Jai S. Sohan, Ambassador of Singapore; Nathapol Khantahiran, Ambassador of Thailand; and Tran Duc Hung, Ambassador of Viet Nam.
The 65th ACD meeting also marked the new chairmanship of the ACD, during which Ridwan Hassan handed over flag of ASEAN group to Malaysian ambassador Zamshari Shaharan.
ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) was formed on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand. ASEAN has ten member states, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. Seven out of ten members of ASEAN (except for Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar) have resident embassies in Qatar.
Indonesia has assumed the chairmanship of the ACD since December 2020. Throughout the year of 2021, ACD have conducted some activities such as the 64th ACD Meeting, the celebration of ASEAN Day on 8th August 2021, some publications regarding ASEAN, ASEAN Festival at Lulu Hypermarket, ACD Bowling Competition and ACD Joint Courtesy Calls on Newly-Appointed Qatari Ministers.
“All these activities were conducted to raise awareness about ASEAN as well as to promote cooperation between ASEAN and Qatar” said Ambassador Ridwan Hassan of Indonesia. Qatar is a key investor in ASEAN countries, with investments in the energy, including alternative energy, financial, real estate, telecommunications, agribusiness, hospitality and medical sectors. In addition, it is also worth to mention that around 300,000 Southeast Asian nationals have made Qatar their second home and they contribute greatly in economic sectors in Qatar and also in their countries.
Doha, 20 Feb. 2021
Ayuba Wabba, President, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) has hailed Qatar's efforts to improve the workers reforms both minimum wages and facilities. He said these efforts ensuring the protection of human rights of migrant workers.
A 11 member delegation from eight African countries was on a two day visit to Qatar was to follow-up to the commitment that the African Workers Group made during 2021 Africa-Arab Labour Migration Webinar Conference. The conference was hosted by International Labour Organisation (ILO), to continue exploring means to improve fair recruitment and labour migration governance in general.
Present were also Martha Molema, President Botswana Federation of Trade Unions; Francis Atwoli, Secretary General of Central Organisation of Trade Unions, Kenya.
Talking to www.asiantelegraphqatar.com after addressing a press conference held at the end of their visit in Hotel Four Seasons, Doha, Wabba who visited first time to Qatar said that during their stay in Qatar, the delegation has met Officials of ILO, Ministry of Labour, National Human Rights Committee, Shura Council, Community leaders from Asian and African expatriate communities.
Ayuba Wabba said that certain recommendations have been given to the Qatar government and the organisation will continue to work with Qatar in order to achieve improvement in work culture.
He said that the ITUC-Africa delegation is very much satisfied with the workers conditions after also visiting several workers accommodations and construction sites.
ITUC-Africa President said that the delegation members were impressed during it's visit to Afghan refugees camp, it was an impressive show of solidarity and commitment towards our shared humanity.
Earlier, addressing to press conference, Kwasi Adu-Amakwah, General Secretary of ITUC-Africa welcomed the labour reforms by Qatari authorities and mentioned as progressive. However, he said that there are certain challenges to it's implementation and there is still room for improvement as the efforts are in-progress, however, after interactions with the workers, we are confident that the reforms are real and are being implemented, with some challenges," Adu-Amakwah said.
He said that signing of labour contracts in Qatar Visa Centres (QVC) before migrant workers’ departure to Qatar avoid discrepancies upon arrival in Qatar, and the establishment of workers’ representative councils have resulted ensuring the rights of workers.
Qatar labour reforms eliminates exit visa requirement, provides freedom to change employers and introduced minimum wages. These have led to the progressive reform of the sponsorship system. Also, it has implemented a national minimum wage payment. He said that the reforms have also delivered improved health and safety requirements in construction sites and anywhere the temperature exceeds a certain degree.
The ITUC-Africa General Secretary said that there is a significant and growing number of African migrants living and working in Qatar. Also, in the wake of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, migrant inflow to Qatar significantly has increased.
Doha, 20 Feb. 2022 (QT)
By Ashraf Siddiqui
Ambassador of Iran to Qatar HE Hamid Reza Dehghani has revealed that a number of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) will be signed during a two-day visit of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who will be arriving in Doha on Monday on the invitation of the Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, ambassador Dehghani said that both leaders will discuss issues of mutual interests and regional and international issues as well as further possibilities of strengthening bilateral economic, cultural and tourism ties. The envoy said, “Iran gives great importance to the bilateral relations and there are regular constant dialogue and consultations between Qatar and Iran.”
He said President Raisi will be participating in the 6th summit of Gas Exporting Countries to be held in Doha on Tuesday, adding that on the sidelines of the summit, President Raisi and the accompanying members of the delegation, including foreign minister, oil minister and several others, will have a couple of meetings with Qatari officials.
The envoy said Qatar and Iran are trusted neighbours and have stood with each other in difficult times. “Qatar has established its position as a mediator on the
world level and Iran is interested in benefiting in its role in building better relations with the United States, West and the Arab region for peace, security, stability and development of the people of our region,” Dehghani said.
About the Iran nuclear
agreement, he said Iran has complied with its commitments and welcomes any effort to return the United States as pledged in the Iran nuclear agreement between Iran and the five plus one countries.
Doha, 18 Feb. 2022 (beIN Sports)
Nasser Ghanem Al Khelaifi, President of the Qatar Tennis, Squash and Badminton Federation, has announced the extension of the partnership contract with ExxonMobil Qatar to be the title sponsor of the Qatar open till 2027.
American Chamber of Commerce Qatar
Bangladeshi Community
Filipino Community
Indian Community
Nepali Community
Pakistani Community
Sri Lankan Community