(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Qatar's human rights watchdog has called on the Qatari government to speed up procedures for implementing the proposed amendments in the Law No. 2 of 2004 on people with disabilities to make it compatible with the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Addressing an international workshop by the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights in Geneva yesterday Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) Dr Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri said that the State Cabinet had approved the draft amendments in 2012.
The workshop was held under the title 'Cooperation between the United Nations and regional mechanisms for the promotion and protection of human rights."
Al Marri said that Committee had encouraged the Qatari government to ratify the UN Convention.
It recommended changes in the national legislation to match the provisions of the UN Convention. The government has responded to those recommendations and invited the Committee to participate in the drafting of a law to amend law No. 2 of 2004, he added.
He further explained that the Committee had proposed seven new provisions related to economic, social and cultural rights of people with disabilities and their right to education, health, employment and housing, in addition to the right of access to public and private facilities, and cultural and sports services.
"The Council of Ministers approved in 2012 the draft resolution but it is still under legislative procedures," said Al Marri.
He added that the issuance of the resolution by the state will be a full legislative step towards compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Al-Marri underlined that people with disabilities still need to make further efforts to remove the barriers which affect their integration into society.
He pointed out that persons with disabilities are the largest minority in the world. However, many of them live in poverty and suffer from isolation and deprivation of education, employment and health care. Disability movements all over the world had played a major role in the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
He noted that national human rights institutions have wide functions for the protection and promotion of human rights, on the basis of the Paris Principles which are the legal terms of reference for their establishment and definition of their functions.
Top on their duties is the pursuit of the objectives set forth in international human rights conventions to which the state has become a party, and recommendations for stakeholders, such as proposals on existing legislations and draft laws and their compatibility with the provisions of international standards.
He added that national human rights institutions have quasi-judicial functions such as investigation of abuses or violations of human rights and working to resolve the complaints through cooperation and coordination with the competent authorities.
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