Geneva: The State of Qatar lauded the objective and positive attitudes of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) towards the negative repercussions and human rights violations resulting from the unjust siege and unilateral measures that the country has been subject to in June last year, expressing hope that the Office of the High Commissioner and the Human Rights Council, through their respective mechanisms, especially special procedures, would continue to pay attention to this issue and to take serious and effective measures to end these violations, hold those responsible accountable and compensate those affected in a just and equitable manner.

Qatar said it wants to know what further steps the OHCHR could take on the grave violations that had been committed for more than one year, on basis of the findings of the report of the technical mission of the Office which visited the country in November.

This came in the speech of Qatar delivered by Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Ambassador H E Ali Khalfan Al Mansouri, today, at the 28th special session of the Human Rights Council to discuss the updated statement of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

On the other hand, the State of Qatar condemned the continuing violations and crimes committed by the Israeli entity against the Palestinian people and its policies of Judaisation and settlement in flagrant violation of international law, stressing the importance of ensuring accountability of all Israeli political and military officials responsible for these violations.

In this regard, Ambassador Ali Khalfan Al Mansouri said that the State of Qatar stresses the importance of the seventh chapter on the agenda of the Human Rights Council, considering that attempts to marginalise or cancel it only encourage the occupation to continue violations of international law.

On the Syrian issue, he said that the Syrian regime and its allies bear the main responsibility for the grave violations and crimes committed against the Syrian people, who had to defend themselves against the regime’s violence and killing since the beginning of the crisis in response to its peaceful demands. He indicated that the regime there tried to create sectarian strife, and create an environment that helped the emergence and spread of terrorist and extremist groups, which is strongly condemned by the State of Qatar.

He added that the State of Qatar expresses its appreciation for the approach taken by the High Commissioner in his statement, which reflected a number of positive cases of the cooperation of States with the Office of the High Commissioner and special procedures such as Tunisia and Libya, calling in this regard on the international community to provide the necessary support and assistance in order to continue the process of promoting and protecting their human rights and fundamental freedoms.

He stressed that the State of Qatar reaffirms its commitment to continue its efforts to promote and protect human rights and to continue its cooperation with the OHCHR in order to enable it to carry out its mandate in the best possible manner, welcoming the High Commissioner’s commendation of its acceding to the two Covenants.

Concluding his speech, Al Mansouri appreciated the great efforts exerted by the High Commissioner during his term, which was characterized by initiation, courage and objectivity in defending human rights issues, as well as his support for the victims despite the great challenges and pressures that he and his staff have been subjected to in this regard.