November 15 – Hardly a week went by in the build-up to the 2022 World Cup when Qatar wasn’t under examination for its policy on human rights.
But two years after the tournament, the country has received cautious backing from the United Nations’ top human rights body for improving the labour laws that were the focus of so much attention.
The Gulf state this week had its five-yearly review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva for the first time since the tournament, which came under close international scrutiny over the involvement of thousands oof migrant workers.
“We commend Qatar for its notable reforms in labour migrant legislation,” the Netherlands delegation to the Council said. “These are significant, but more effective enforcement and implementations are needed.”
The Council comprises 47 Member States and other delegates agreed there was still a way to go.
Sierra Leone, for instance, said Qatar should “consider abolishing all vestiges” of the labour law system known as kafala, which binds migrant workers to a single employer.
Qatar also was asked to abolish the death penalty by states including Brazil, Ireland, Italy and New Zealand, while Brazil, Mexico and Spain urged the country to allow same-sex relationships.
Qatar’s delegation to the Council pointed to the country rising from outside the top 100 to now rank No. 84 in the global index of press freedom. Top-ranked Norway, however, said Qatar should ensure “civil society, human rights defenders and journalists can operate freely without fear of reprisals.”
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