Doha: The National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) expressed its pride and appreciation for the efforts made by the leadership, people and institutions of the State of Qatar to provide the requirements for a successful FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 championship, pointing out that this global football event is a pride for the Arabs and all humanity, and a distinguished legacy for the State of Qatar and the whole Arab region.
This unique historic event took place in a safe environment in which human rights and freedoms were fully protected, whether for the fans who came to participate in the tournament activities or for citizens and residents alike, in a framework of respect for diversified nationalities, races and cultures, and taking into account the State of Qatar’s duties and system of national values and customs, the committee said in a statement.
The statement carried the NHRC’s deep satisfaction with the commitment of all parties concerned with organizing this global sporting event in the State of Qatar to the provisions of the Qatari constitution and international human rights law, particularly ensuring the access of the priority care groups, most notably persons with disabilities, to sports and sporting facilities, and enabling expatriate workers to watch the championship matches. As part of the NHRC’s practices to monitor human rights, it formed a team concerned with the World Cup, from which a working group branched out to monitor and document any possible human rights abuses or violations before, during and after the tournament. It also highlighted its Hamad International Airport (HIA) office inauguration, providing around-the-clock multi-lingual hotlines for human rights-linked inquiries and complaints.
The NHRC did not noticed any acts of violence, harm, physical or psychological abuse, negligent treatment, exploitation, discrimination, or any manifestations of promoting hate speech based on nationalism, religion or racism, the statement read. The lack of human rights-related complaints means the success of efforts to protect human rights, foremost of which are the rights to life, physical integrity, liberty, personal security, equality, non-discrimination, freedom of opinion, expression, media and information exchange, as well as the ability of Qatari society to interact with fans of different nationalities and cultures in a spirit of brotherhood, understanding, tolerance and friendship that reflects the aspirations of peoples and their love for peace, the rule of law, justice, equality, non-discrimination and international solidarity, the statement added.
