The National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) is a government-appointed human rights commission based in the State of Qatar. Established in 2002, it has been tasked with the responsibility of overseeing and carrying out investigations on human rights abuses in the country.
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Organization
As of 2015, Ali bin Samikh Al Marri is the chairman of the commission and Youssef Mohammed Obaidan is vice-chairman. Fourteen members serve in the committee. The members are government-appointed and consist of civil servants and government ministers.
History
The National Human Rights Committee was founded in 2002 by virtue of law no. 38. The law stipulated that it would be headquartered in the capital city of Doha and would be independently financed. All governmental agencies were ordered to procure their full cooperation with the commission. The NHRC was re-organized by the government in 2010 to reinforce its independence, and in the same year, the International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions upgraded the commission's classification to Category A, the highest classification for international human rights institutions.
The NHRC signed a memorandum of understanding with the US-based human rights organization Solidarity Center in 2009.
Mission
The commission's aims revolve around raising awareness of human rights abuses, monitoring and observing human rights abuses, and empowering individuals. Their means of advancing this goal include contributing to research programs related to human rights, conducting studies and providing advice and recommendations to legislative bodies. The NHRC also advocates for the rights of individuals with disabilities.