Chairperson of NHRC Says Regional Dialogue Forum Most Significant Experience at Gulf Human Rights Work Level

Doha: HE Chairperson of Qatar National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah, affirmed today that the convention of the regional dialogue forum on "human rights: promoting equality and combating discrimination in the context of migration", is one of the most consequential and best practices at the level of the Gulf human rights work. Her Excellency added that, through the presented working papers, the forum discussed all aspects through which expatriates could be exposed to discrimination and racism, chiefly their inclusion in the society, sports, figuring out human rights mechanisms and their relationship with sports, identifying the shared interests and raising sport-related issues, as well as exchanging expertise and ideas about combating racism in sport. The forum shed the light on the current policies and regulations that could be thoroughly ineffective in combating racism in sport, along with the role of media in addressing racism in sport, the successful experiences and best practices derived from a range of experiences that effectively address racism in sport, HE Al Attiyah highlighted. She pointed out that the forum, likewise, focused on the possibility of enhancing education and awareness about combating racism among the sports community, as well as the measures that could be taken to support athletes who are exposed to racism and the potential role the fans can perform in combating racism in sport. Additionally, the forum discussed promoting diversity and inclusiveness in sport governance bodies, how social media platforms can be leveraged as a combating tool, identifying appropriate punishments for teams or individuals who engage in racial acts, in addition to rigorously optimizing data collection and analysis to further track cases of racism in sport, Her Excellency added. HE Chairperson of NHRC outlined that the event highlighted the programs that can be implemented to encourage children and young people from all spectrums to engage in sporting activities, along with th e role of sponsor companies in backing anti-racism efforts and capitalizing on international experiences to strengthen anti-racism efforts domestically. HE Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah held two separate meetings with HE Chairperson of National Human Rights Institution in the United Arab Emirates, Maqsoud Kruse, and HE Member of the Human Rights Commission in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Amal Al Habdan, on the margins of the forum. During the two meetings, HE Al Attiyah discussed avenues of cooperation, organizing joint activities at the national, regional and global levels and sharing expertise and best practices in protecting and promoting human rights. Organized by NHRC, in collaboration with the Arab Network for National Human Rights Institutions (ANNHRI), and the United Nations (UN) Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the two-day forum was concluded on Wednesday, and recommended the importance of constantly working to promote the levels of human rights awareness and notions related to the issue of fostering equality and repudiating all forms of racial discrimination. The event called for utilizing the field of education and culture to address youth, pertaining to the elimination of racial discrimination and spreading the notions of tolerance and co-existence. Source: Qatar News Agency