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COMMITTEE ON RIGHTS OF CHILD EXAMINES INITIAL REPORT OF QATAR ON SALE OF CHILDREN AND CHILD PROSTITUTION
17 May 2006
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17 May 2006
The Committee on the Rights of the Child this afternoon examined the initial report of Qatar on how that country is implementing the provisions of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.
Introducing the report was Abdulla Bin Nasser Al-Khalifa, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs of Qatar, who said that Qatar was witnessing a rapid development in the area of human rights protection, including the enhancement of children’s rights. That interest was part of the profound societal belief in the right of each human to live a decent and safe life. He confirmed the determination of Qatar to continue the efforts exerted for the sake of enhancing the international obligations towards ensuring child’s rights.
Committee Expert Kamel Filali, who served as country Rapporteur for the report of Qatar, speaking in preliminary concluding remarks, thanked the delegation for sharing further information on the protection of children in the country. The Committee now had a clear picture of the situation of children and their protection in Qatar. As it had been indicated by the delegation, the country had the political will to pursue its endeavours in implementing the provisions of the treaty. In the future, the Committee expected further positive results in the area of child protection. Qatar had the financial and human resources to accomplish activities in support of children’s rights.
Other Committee Experts raised questions pertaining to, among other things, the provision of training to professionals assisting child victims; child camel jockeys; the protection of children during the judicial procedure; and open discussions on child prostitution and sexual exploitation.
The Committee will release its formal, written concluding observations and recommendations on the report of Qatar towards the end of its three-week session which will conclude on 2 June.
The delegation of Qatar was made up of representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of the Interior, the Qatar Foundation for the Protection of the Woman and the Child, the Qatar Charitable Association, the National Office for the Prevention of Human Trafficking, and the Permanent Mission of Qatar to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
As one of the 192 States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Qatar is obliged to present periodic reports to the Committee on its efforts to comply with the provisions of that treaty. The delegation was on hand during the meeting to present the report and answer questions raised by Committee Experts.
When Chamber B of the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Friday, 19 May, it will take up the second periodic report of Tanzania. Chamber A will take up the second periodic report of Uzbekistan.
Report of Qatar
The initial report of Qatar on the Optional Protection to the Convention on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (CRC/C/OPSA/QAT/1) notes that when the State party acceded to the Protocol in 2001, it made a general reservation to any provisions that were incompatible with the Islamic Sharia. The State intends to review the general reservation, which it made upon accession. To that end, the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, the agency responsible for child-related issues in Qatar, set up a national committee of experts from all the agencies concerned to study this international instrument with a view to determining whether the general reservation could be withdrawn.
The State of Qatar establishes governmental bodies and departments to protect children and to implement international conventions, in coordination with regional and local authorities, as well as civil society, the business sector and the media, the report says. The Supreme Council for Family Affairs is the highest coordinating authority with responsibility for the preservation, protection and advancement of the family and its members. The Council attaches considerable importance to disseminating information through the local media about the Convention and the Optional Protocol.
The report says that the Qatari legislator has established a general rule, in the Criminal Code, which provides that any Qatari who commits a serious or lesser offence abroad will be punished upon his or her return to Qatar, provided that the act is punishable under the law of the country in which it was committed. The purpose of this provision is to establish criminal jurisdiction over any citizen who, while abroad, commits any of the offences referred to in the Optional Protocol.
Introduction of Report
ABDULLA BIN NASSER AL-KHALIFA, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs of Qatar, said Qatar was witnessing a rapid development in the area of human rights protection, including the enhancement of children’s rights. That interest was part of the profound societal belief in the right of each human to live a decent and safe life.
Mr. Al-Khalifa said Qatar was determined to commit itself to children’s rights as recognized in the international conventions and stated in the Arab and Islamic conventions. Within the framework of the obligation of the Protocol concerning trafficking in children and their exploitation, the State had taken a number of steps which aimed at protecting children and women against violence and abuse at home, at work and in the community. A national committee was also formed to combat trafficking in persons.
Qatar was keen on the importance of coordination and cooperation with the international organizations and corporations concerned with children. A series of training workshops had been organized by the Council to raise awareness of groups working with children.
Concluding, Mr. Al-Khalifa confirmed the determination of his country to continue the efforts exerted for the sake of enhancing the international obligations towards ensuring child’s rights.
Discussion
KAMEL FILALI, the Committee Expert who served as country Rapporteur to the report of Qatar, thanked the delegation for providing the Committee with further information. In ratifying the Protocol immediately after its adoption by the General Assembly, Qatar was an example for the region and the Arab world. Referring to child camel jockeys, he appreciated the State party’s efforts to put in place a legal provision in 2005 with regard to the prohibition of the use of children as camel jockeys.
Mr. Filali asked about the progress made by the committee of experts to study the general reservation of Qatar, which was made upon accession to the Optional Protocol. How did the State plan to implement the provisions of the Protocol at the regional and local levels? Children were supposed to participate in the process of the implementation of the provisions of the Protocol. What effort was made by the State to allow children to participate in the implementation process? What procedure was followed to lodge complaints to the Qatari authorities? Were acts of prostitution prohibited by law? Could Qatari nationals be brought to justice for child abuse committed outside the country?
Another Expert said the Criminal Code limited sexual exploitation to females and not to boys. What was the reason for that?
An Expert said there were two kinds of assistance available to children who were victims of sexual exploitation. What were the modalities of assistance to girls and boys? What were the characteristics of psychiatric treatment provided to victims? It was stipulated in the Sharia that the State should compensate the victims of sexual abuse; how was that done? The State was providing training to professionals assisting child victims. To which category of professionals was the training provided?
Another Expert said she did not receive any information, except concerning the camel jockeys, in the report. Qatar was a country where many foreigners lived and for that matter there might be practical cases regarding that group of children. She wished to receive more information on children’s situation in all segments of the society in Qatar.
With regard to the protection of children, an Expert asked which body was protecting children during the judicial procedure. Was it the judicial body itself or the office dealing with the protection of children? In many countries, the problem of child prostitution was not discussed openly, including Switzerland. Was there a targeted campaign to increase awareness on the issue? He wanted to know if children were taking part in the preventive campaign against child abuse.
Another Expert said children were subject to prostitution in many countries and the campaign against it was insufficient. Many people were reluctant to recognize the problem. What efforts were being made by Qatar to increase child awareness and to make adults duty bound with regard to child prostitution? Qatar was a rich and prosperous country; and it could allocate adequate money to children. However, the budgetary allocation was presented in a global manner rather than in detailed form.
Response of Qatar
The delegation of Qatar said the Supreme Council for Family Affairs had continued to set up bodies that would deal with children’s rights in order to implement the provisions of the Optional Protocol. It also organized seminars and workshops to help the professionals working with children. The Council was presided over by Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al-Misnad, the wife of the Emir of Qatar.
A large number of children and women had been protected through the efforts of the Supreme Council, the delegation said. All children and women living in the territory benefited from the services of the Council. Any complaints by children, or brought on behalf of children, to the Council were thoroughly investigated. For that matter, the Council used the services of 19 lawyers who were volunteers.
In 2001, the Council had established the Child’s Friend Office with the aim of offering assistance to children, the delegation said. The Office received complaints and requests for information from children on its direct hotline and endeavoured to resolve children’s problems and to find them appropriate physical and psychological treatment. In 2005, the Council dealt with 2,000 cases concerning women and child abuses. The public was regularly informed about the activities of the Council.
Qatar was doing a lot to combat trafficking in human beings, the delegation said. A foundation was established to combat trafficking and to care for victims of that crime. They were provided with information and training. Through projects and programmes, victims were given assistance enabling them to rehabilitate themselves. Although the definition of trafficking was very new to Qatar, the authorities were seeking to publicize the phenomenon so that the general public was aware of it. The officials had also taken appropriate measures to fight it, and to increase awareness among the population. When the office to fight trafficking was established in 2005, the authorities dealing with children became involved in its activities. A reception centre for victims of abuse was already operating in Doha.
Former child camel jockeys were being rehabilitated, thanks to the many welfare and charity organizations, the delegation said. Many of these jockeys were foreigners who were now living in the country. Those children were considered as victims of abuse because of their childhood situation.
On the question regarding the presence of an alleged offender in Qatar’s territory, the delegation said that article 17 of the Criminal Code was applied to anyone present in the State after committing abroad, in the capacity of author, any offence involving trafficking of narcotic drugs or human beings. An extradition process could be initiated if a State that had a bilateral agreement requested for.
With regard to reservations, a committee had been set up to examine the situation, the delegation said. The committee had already submitted its report and the authorities would soon decide on the withdrawal of the general reservations.
Asked if judges were competent to apply the provisions of the Optional Protocol, the delegation said judges and lawyers could use the provisions as appropriate in dealing with cases of child abuse.
Rape was considered a crime in the Qatari Criminal Code, the delegation said. Homosexuality was punishable by life imprisonment. Pornographic cartoons and other indecent acts in publications or in the Internet were also prohibited.
Social workers and teachers informed the Council about the existence of sexual harassment in institutions and the society, the delegation said. Only a few cases of sexual harassment were reported in 2005.
Asked to clarify the situation of child victims who were being exploited for financial benefits, the delegation said the country’s financial position was healthy, and there was no way that children were exploited for financial benefits by any group or individual.
A therapy programme was provided to all the members of the family in the event that a child was victimized, the delegation said. The Therapy Council was in charge of providing such therapy to the victims. Many of the child camel jockeys had already been returned to their families outside Qatar.
In conclusion, the delegation said the Government was preparing to create a centre for human rights, which would be directly supervised by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Preliminary Concluding Remarks
KAMEL FILALI, the Committee Expert who served as country Rapporteur for the report of Qatar, thanked the delegation for sharing further information on the protection of children in the country. The Committee now had a clear picture of the situation of children’s protection in Qatar. As it was indicated by the delegation, the country had the political will to pursue its endeavours in implementing the provisions of the treaty. In the future, the Committee expected further positive results in the area of child protection. Qatar had the financial and human resources to accomplish activities in support of children’s rights.
* *** *
For use of the information media; not an official record
The Committee on the Rights of the Child this afternoon examined the initial report of Qatar on how that country is implementing the provisions of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.
Introducing the report was Abdulla Bin Nasser Al-Khalifa, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs of Qatar, who said that Qatar was witnessing a rapid development in the area of human rights protection, including the enhancement of children’s rights. That interest was part of the profound societal belief in the right of each human to live a decent and safe life. He confirmed the determination of Qatar to continue the efforts exerted for the sake of enhancing the international obligations towards ensuring child’s rights.
Committee Expert Kamel Filali, who served as country Rapporteur for the report of Qatar, speaking in preliminary concluding remarks, thanked the delegation for sharing further information on the protection of children in the country. The Committee now had a clear picture of the situation of children and their protection in Qatar. As it had been indicated by the delegation, the country had the political will to pursue its endeavours in implementing the provisions of the treaty. In the future, the Committee expected further positive results in the area of child protection. Qatar had the financial and human resources to accomplish activities in support of children’s rights.
Other Committee Experts raised questions pertaining to, among other things, the provision of training to professionals assisting child victims; child camel jockeys; the protection of children during the judicial procedure; and open discussions on child prostitution and sexual exploitation.
The Committee will release its formal, written concluding observations and recommendations on the report of Qatar towards the end of its three-week session which will conclude on 2 June.
The delegation of Qatar was made up of representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of the Interior, the Qatar Foundation for the Protection of the Woman and the Child, the Qatar Charitable Association, the National Office for the Prevention of Human Trafficking, and the Permanent Mission of Qatar to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
As one of the 192 States parties to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Qatar is obliged to present periodic reports to the Committee on its efforts to comply with the provisions of that treaty. The delegation was on hand during the meeting to present the report and answer questions raised by Committee Experts.
When Chamber B of the Committee reconvenes at 10 a.m. on Friday, 19 May, it will take up the second periodic report of Tanzania. Chamber A will take up the second periodic report of Uzbekistan.
Report of Qatar
The initial report of Qatar on the Optional Protection to the Convention on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (CRC/C/OPSA/QAT/1) notes that when the State party acceded to the Protocol in 2001, it made a general reservation to any provisions that were incompatible with the Islamic Sharia. The State intends to review the general reservation, which it made upon accession. To that end, the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, the agency responsible for child-related issues in Qatar, set up a national committee of experts from all the agencies concerned to study this international instrument with a view to determining whether the general reservation could be withdrawn.
The State of Qatar establishes governmental bodies and departments to protect children and to implement international conventions, in coordination with regional and local authorities, as well as civil society, the business sector and the media, the report says. The Supreme Council for Family Affairs is the highest coordinating authority with responsibility for the preservation, protection and advancement of the family and its members. The Council attaches considerable importance to disseminating information through the local media about the Convention and the Optional Protocol.
The report says that the Qatari legislator has established a general rule, in the Criminal Code, which provides that any Qatari who commits a serious or lesser offence abroad will be punished upon his or her return to Qatar, provided that the act is punishable under the law of the country in which it was committed. The purpose of this provision is to establish criminal jurisdiction over any citizen who, while abroad, commits any of the offences referred to in the Optional Protocol.
Introduction of Report
ABDULLA BIN NASSER AL-KHALIFA, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs of Qatar, said Qatar was witnessing a rapid development in the area of human rights protection, including the enhancement of children’s rights. That interest was part of the profound societal belief in the right of each human to live a decent and safe life.
Mr. Al-Khalifa said Qatar was determined to commit itself to children’s rights as recognized in the international conventions and stated in the Arab and Islamic conventions. Within the framework of the obligation of the Protocol concerning trafficking in children and their exploitation, the State had taken a number of steps which aimed at protecting children and women against violence and abuse at home, at work and in the community. A national committee was also formed to combat trafficking in persons.
Qatar was keen on the importance of coordination and cooperation with the international organizations and corporations concerned with children. A series of training workshops had been organized by the Council to raise awareness of groups working with children.
Concluding, Mr. Al-Khalifa confirmed the determination of his country to continue the efforts exerted for the sake of enhancing the international obligations towards ensuring child’s rights.
Discussion
KAMEL FILALI, the Committee Expert who served as country Rapporteur to the report of Qatar, thanked the delegation for providing the Committee with further information. In ratifying the Protocol immediately after its adoption by the General Assembly, Qatar was an example for the region and the Arab world. Referring to child camel jockeys, he appreciated the State party’s efforts to put in place a legal provision in 2005 with regard to the prohibition of the use of children as camel jockeys.
Mr. Filali asked about the progress made by the committee of experts to study the general reservation of Qatar, which was made upon accession to the Optional Protocol. How did the State plan to implement the provisions of the Protocol at the regional and local levels? Children were supposed to participate in the process of the implementation of the provisions of the Protocol. What effort was made by the State to allow children to participate in the implementation process? What procedure was followed to lodge complaints to the Qatari authorities? Were acts of prostitution prohibited by law? Could Qatari nationals be brought to justice for child abuse committed outside the country?
Another Expert said the Criminal Code limited sexual exploitation to females and not to boys. What was the reason for that?
An Expert said there were two kinds of assistance available to children who were victims of sexual exploitation. What were the modalities of assistance to girls and boys? What were the characteristics of psychiatric treatment provided to victims? It was stipulated in the Sharia that the State should compensate the victims of sexual abuse; how was that done? The State was providing training to professionals assisting child victims. To which category of professionals was the training provided?
Another Expert said she did not receive any information, except concerning the camel jockeys, in the report. Qatar was a country where many foreigners lived and for that matter there might be practical cases regarding that group of children. She wished to receive more information on children’s situation in all segments of the society in Qatar.
With regard to the protection of children, an Expert asked which body was protecting children during the judicial procedure. Was it the judicial body itself or the office dealing with the protection of children? In many countries, the problem of child prostitution was not discussed openly, including Switzerland. Was there a targeted campaign to increase awareness on the issue? He wanted to know if children were taking part in the preventive campaign against child abuse.
Another Expert said children were subject to prostitution in many countries and the campaign against it was insufficient. Many people were reluctant to recognize the problem. What efforts were being made by Qatar to increase child awareness and to make adults duty bound with regard to child prostitution? Qatar was a rich and prosperous country; and it could allocate adequate money to children. However, the budgetary allocation was presented in a global manner rather than in detailed form.
Response of Qatar
The delegation of Qatar said the Supreme Council for Family Affairs had continued to set up bodies that would deal with children’s rights in order to implement the provisions of the Optional Protocol. It also organized seminars and workshops to help the professionals working with children. The Council was presided over by Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al-Misnad, the wife of the Emir of Qatar.
A large number of children and women had been protected through the efforts of the Supreme Council, the delegation said. All children and women living in the territory benefited from the services of the Council. Any complaints by children, or brought on behalf of children, to the Council were thoroughly investigated. For that matter, the Council used the services of 19 lawyers who were volunteers.
In 2001, the Council had established the Child’s Friend Office with the aim of offering assistance to children, the delegation said. The Office received complaints and requests for information from children on its direct hotline and endeavoured to resolve children’s problems and to find them appropriate physical and psychological treatment. In 2005, the Council dealt with 2,000 cases concerning women and child abuses. The public was regularly informed about the activities of the Council.
Qatar was doing a lot to combat trafficking in human beings, the delegation said. A foundation was established to combat trafficking and to care for victims of that crime. They were provided with information and training. Through projects and programmes, victims were given assistance enabling them to rehabilitate themselves. Although the definition of trafficking was very new to Qatar, the authorities were seeking to publicize the phenomenon so that the general public was aware of it. The officials had also taken appropriate measures to fight it, and to increase awareness among the population. When the office to fight trafficking was established in 2005, the authorities dealing with children became involved in its activities. A reception centre for victims of abuse was already operating in Doha.
Former child camel jockeys were being rehabilitated, thanks to the many welfare and charity organizations, the delegation said. Many of these jockeys were foreigners who were now living in the country. Those children were considered as victims of abuse because of their childhood situation.
On the question regarding the presence of an alleged offender in Qatar’s territory, the delegation said that article 17 of the Criminal Code was applied to anyone present in the State after committing abroad, in the capacity of author, any offence involving trafficking of narcotic drugs or human beings. An extradition process could be initiated if a State that had a bilateral agreement requested for.
With regard to reservations, a committee had been set up to examine the situation, the delegation said. The committee had already submitted its report and the authorities would soon decide on the withdrawal of the general reservations.
Asked if judges were competent to apply the provisions of the Optional Protocol, the delegation said judges and lawyers could use the provisions as appropriate in dealing with cases of child abuse.
Rape was considered a crime in the Qatari Criminal Code, the delegation said. Homosexuality was punishable by life imprisonment. Pornographic cartoons and other indecent acts in publications or in the Internet were also prohibited.
Social workers and teachers informed the Council about the existence of sexual harassment in institutions and the society, the delegation said. Only a few cases of sexual harassment were reported in 2005.
Asked to clarify the situation of child victims who were being exploited for financial benefits, the delegation said the country’s financial position was healthy, and there was no way that children were exploited for financial benefits by any group or individual.
A therapy programme was provided to all the members of the family in the event that a child was victimized, the delegation said. The Therapy Council was in charge of providing such therapy to the victims. Many of the child camel jockeys had already been returned to their families outside Qatar.
In conclusion, the delegation said the Government was preparing to create a centre for human rights, which would be directly supervised by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Preliminary Concluding Remarks
KAMEL FILALI, the Committee Expert who served as country Rapporteur for the report of Qatar, thanked the delegation for sharing further information on the protection of children in the country. The Committee now had a clear picture of the situation of children’s protection in Qatar. As it was indicated by the delegation, the country had the political will to pursue its endeavours in implementing the provisions of the treaty. In the future, the Committee expected further positive results in the area of child protection. Qatar had the financial and human resources to accomplish activities in support of children’s rights.
* *** *
For use of the information media; not an official record