The National Human Rights Committee, represented by H E Maryam bint Abdullah Al-Attiyah, Chairperson of the Committee, took part in the proceedings of the 25th General Assembly of the Arab Network of National Human Rights Institutions, held in Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain, with broad participation from national institutions across the Arab region.
In press statements on the occasion, Al-Attiyah emphasized that the Arab Network plays pioneering and influential roles in advancing the work of national human rights institutions in the Arab world. She highlighted the Network’s contribution to establishing strong, independent institutions that operate in full compliance with the Paris Principles. She further noted that the Network’s Statute enshrines equality among all member institutions and provides for the annual rotation of its presidency among members according to regional representation.
Al-Attiyah expressed her pride in Doha hosting the permanent headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Arab Network, describing it as the driving force behind the Network’s initiatives aimed at strengthening and developing national human rights institutions at the Arab level. She stressed that these institutions are entrusted with embedding the human rights approach into public policies, institutional practices, and individual behavior, ultimately contributing to sustainable development across the region.
On the sidelines of the General Assembly, Al-Attiyah held two bilateral meetings. The first was with H E Samar Al-Hajj Hassan, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the National Center for Human Rights in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and the second with H E Eng Ali Ahmed Al-Drazy, Chairperson of the National Institution for Human Rights in the Kingdom of Bahrain and President of the Arab Network during its current term. The meetings focused on strengthening cooperation, organizing joint activities, and building the capacities of staff of national human rights institutions to enhance their effectiveness in protecting and promoting human rights.
The discussions addressed capacity-building in areas such as preparing international reports, following up on recommendations, handling complaints, raising awareness, and engaging with international human rights mechanisms. They also explored cooperation in organizing international conferences on pressing human rights issues, exchanging visits, and transferring expertise, experiences, and best practices.
In this context, Mr. Sultan Hamad Al-Hajri, Director of Public Relations and Media at the National Human Rights Committee, presented a working paper during the annual conference accompanying the General Assembly entitled “Best Practices in Addressing Cyber Threats Facing Children and Adolescents, and Proposing Innovative Strategies to Enhance Digital Literacy and Preventive Awareness.” He reviewed global best practices and proposed innovative strategies centered on building behavioral and practical skills among children, empowering families, transforming schools into preventive digital environments, and integrating child protection into digital policy design.
Al-Hajri highlighted the State of Qatar’s experience in establishing integrated national governance for child protection in digital environments, notably through the Digital Safety Committee for Children and Youth. He also outlined the launch of new specialized units within the Committee’s structure, including the Child Rights Protection Unit, and concluded with recommendations calling for enhanced legislation, education, national coordination, and regional and international cooperation.