Qatar Strengthens Cooperation with UN to Promote Women’s Rights

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New York – October 2025 – Her Excellency Maryam bint Abdullah Al-Attiyah, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) in the State of Qatar, met with Ms. Sima Bahous, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of UN Women, and Ms. Dima Al-Khatib, Director of the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), in New York to discuss topics of common interest and explore ways to enhance cooperation.

During the meetings, Al-Attiyah highlighted the leading role of UN Women in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment globally and reaffirmed NHRC’s commitment to strengthening partnership with the UN system. She emphasized ongoing collaboration on combating gender-based violence, supporting national campaigns, and raising awareness of women’s rights across Qatar, while also promoting international best practices and joint initiatives.

Al-Attiyah noted that Qatar has made remarkable strides in achieving gender equality. Women now occupy around 50% of jobs in certain sectors, reflecting a deep institutional understanding of women’s capabilities. She stressed the importance of capacity-building programs targeting national institutions and civil society organizations, conducted in partnership with UN Women’s Regional Office in Cairo, to further enhance women’s empowerment, leadership roles, and economic participation.

She outlined NHRC’s work in promoting women’s political and social participation, supporting legislation aligned with international human rights standards, and fostering a culture of respect for human rights. She highlighted Qatar’s recent legislative renaissance, including new laws protecting persons with disabilities and upcoming child protection legislation, emphasizing inclusivity, equality, and access to opportunities for all segments of society.

Al-Attiyah also discussed Qatar’s labor market reforms as a successful model for South-South cooperation, particularly regarding labor protection, improving working conditions, and empowering women workers in the care sector. She noted NHRC’s participation in the South-4-Care platform in Doha, organized with the International Labour Organization (ILO), aimed at strengthening the care economy and safeguarding labor rights.

The NHRC Chairperson expressed interest in continuing joint research, studies, and data collection on gender disparities, aiming to support national policies and improve the legislative framework for women’s rights. She emphasized the importance of sharing Qatar’s experiences internationally and learning from global best practices to advance sustainable development and human rights, ensuring a mutually beneficial exchange of expertise.

Al-Attiyah reaffirmed NHRC’s commitment to international cooperation, particularly South-South initiatives, as tools to promote human rights and sustainable development. She highlighted the Committee’s events and conferences as platforms for dialogue on emerging global issues, including the recent international conference on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, which examined AI’s potential to advance progress while posing challenges to human rights and democracy.

Concluding the meetings, Al-Attiyah expressed NHRC’s aspiration to expand collaboration with UN agencies, strengthen technical partnerships, and support Qatar’s ongoing efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 5 on gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. She stressed that these cooperative efforts are essential to ensure that women and vulnerable groups can fully participate in all areas of society.