Doha, December 10 (QNA) - HE Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah, met Wednesday with HE US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL), Jacob McGee.

HE Al Attiyah stressed, during the meeting, that the right to freedom of opinion and expression, along with the prevention of discrimination, has been among the top priorities of the NHRC since its inception, as the cornerstones of respecting human rights.

She noted the NHRC's efforts in numerous international conferences concerning the freedom of opinion and expression and its pursuit of connecting this attention with the upgrade of national legislations.

The issue of trafficking in persons tops the NHRC's operational priorities, as the committee receives appeals from individuals and immediately embarks on exploring appropriate legal solutions with the competent authorities, observing the humanitarian dimension in each case, Al Attiyah stressed.

Al Attiyah further noted that the committee undertakes a significant role in training and bolstering awareness of relevant international agreements, including the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons.

She highlighted that the committee provides training for a variety of community members, enterprises, commercial companies, and university students in coordination with the Ministry of Labour's National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking.

The training courses the committee provides range from social to legal awareness, and they focus on the National Law on Combating Human Trafficking and its amendments, and the Business and Human Rights principles, with reference to the competent authorities and contact numbers that should be approached in case of any suspected case, Al Attiyah highlighted.

Al Attiyah further emphasized that the State of Qatar conducted amendments to the National Law on Combating Human Trafficking in December 2024, which allow the arrest of suspects for prolonged periods and offer additional time to collect evidence, in addition to facilitating the referral of victims to shelters and care centers.

Throughout this meeting, the Chairperson touched on the primary segments that need care in terms of the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which has recently been issued, noting that this law aligns with the relevant international standards.

She elucidated that in November 2025, the committee launched four newly established units within its organizational structure: the Women's Rights Protection Unit, the Child Rights Protection Unit, the Persons with Disabilities Rights Protection Unit, and the Elderly Rights Protection Unit.

Al Attiyah asserted that these units came as part of enforcing the objectives of the NHRC's strategic plan and ramping up the ongoing efforts to promote and protect the rights of priority persons.

She likewise focused on the committee's role in encouraging the ratification of human rights conventions and following up on the ratified treaties to ensure actionable obligations to international standards.

Al Attiyah further pointed out that the State of Qatar is committed to advancing labor laws and respecting the rights of workers within the standards of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), based on the findings of the NHRC's monitoring operations. (QNA)