Lt Col Saad Salem Al Dousari (centre), Assistant Director of Human Rights Department at the Ministry of Interior, presenting a certificate of appreciation to members of various communities during celebrations of Arab Human Rights Day, at the Civil Defense
Qatar is doing its best to spread human rights awareness among workers through seminars and campaigns and direct communication with different expatriate communities, said a senior official at the Ministry of Interior.
“After issuing Law no 21/2015 regulating entry, exit and residency of expatriates, it has bridged all the gaps, and the law is currently being implemented," Lt Col Saad Salim Al Dousari, Asst Director of Human Rights Department at the Ministry told The Peninsula.
He was speaking on the sidelines of a ceremony to mark the Arab Human Rights Day at Officers Club at Civil Defence under the theme “Human rights and peaceful coexistence”.
“Every year the Department marks the Arab Human Rights Day under different themes, where representatives of various expat communities are honoured," said Al Dousari.
Besides leaders of different communities, officers from the Ministry attended the event.
He said the event has its own significance for several considerations beyond the dimensions of the ceremony. First, the dialectical relationship between the idea of peaceful coexistence, social security and its positive reflections on maintaining public order and ensuring peace of mind.
Second, the ranking of Qatar in the foremost places for the eighth consecutive year in the global peace index (first in MENA region and 34 at global level), confirms the success of Qatar in achieving the peaceful coexistence and social security.
Third, accomplishing leading position by the state, it comes in the general context of the movement of the state and society, in the light of the fact that Qatar has become a model of cultural coexistence and social peace, and respect for others regardless of our differences in the race, religion or language.
“It is right to say that this event precisely comes in the context of the contribution of Qatar in the support of joint Arab action in all fields, particularly in the area of human rights, highlighting the role of the Ministry of Interior in this regard, particularly through participation in conferences of Arab police and security leaders and conferences of the leaders of the Arab interior ministers who are responsible for the human rights”, he said.
The promotion and protection of human rights has become a strategic option of the state, and from this point, we can understand the achievement of approach (human rights and peaceful coexistence) in the national scope of the legal and institutional levels and at the level of practice, which includes the provisions of the Article (18) of the Constitution.
There are a variety of expressions to realise the idea of peaceful coexistence within the framework of the Ministry of Interior, through its care for cultural diversity, and response to the needs of expatriate residents, added Al Dousari.
Majdi Ismael, on behalf of the Arab community appreciated the laws issued by Qatar to protect expats’ rights.
“Qatar has witnessed a big development in all fields and we have an important role in this and feel proud of that,” said Binesh Tamang, speaking on behalf of the Asian community. At the end of the event, leaders of the expatriate communities were honoured by Lt Col Saad Salim al Dousari.
