Summary

At the invitation of the Government, the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, Tendayi Achiume, visited Qatar from 24 November to 1 December 2019.

The Special Rapporteur commends Qatar for its human rights treaty ratifications, and for a number of legislative and policy reforms that promote racial equality and nondiscrimination. She notes, however, that Qatar needs to do more in the light of the persistent complex challenges that undermine its compliance with its international obligations and threaten the achievement of genuine equality and non-discrimination, including the overwhelming role that national origin and nationality currently play in determining access to human rights. She raises concerns regarding a de facto caste system based on national origin, which results in structural discrimination against non-citizens, including as the result of immense power imbalances between employers and migrant workers rooted in the kafala (sponsorship) system that historically structured labour relations in Qatar. She commends the significant labour and immigration reforms implemented by Qatar to improve conditions for low-income migrant workers, including domestic workers, but urges further action in this regard.