Sponsorship Change Update
Sponsorship rules being reviewed
May 08, 2014 - 3:46:18 am
The Assistant Foreign Minister for International Cooperation H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdurrahman bin Jassim Al Thani heading Qatar’s delegation to the Universal Periodical Review meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva yesterday.
DOHA: Qatar is conducting a comprehensive review of rules concerning sponsorship, exit and residency permits for foreign workers.
The idea is to match international best practices in human rights protection.
This was revealed by Qatar’s Assistant Foreign Minister for International Cooperation at a key human rights meeting in Geneva yesterday.
H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani told the meeting that Qatar was also studying means to organise the working hours and rights of domestic workers.
He said an extensive review of the labour law and procedures and policies with regard to labour rights protection was being carried out in accordance with international standards.
The Assistant Minister, as head of the Qatari delegation to the UN Human Rights meeting, said different laws concerning human rights were also being improved.
He said an international consultancy had been mandated to review all laws and procedures that relate to foreign workers and compare them with the best practices worldwide and make suggestions for improvement.
The idea is to improve these laws and systems and in effect improve the lives and working environment of expatriate workers in the country.
The consultancy, according to the Assistant Minister, submitted its report on April 30 this year. Copies of the report have been forwarded to agencies concerned in the country so that they review the report as per their area of specialisation.
All these agencies will be coordinating their efforts and coming up with an integrated approach so that recommendations can be implemented.
“An announcement will be made very soon regarding that report,” the Assistant Minister told the Geneva meeting.
He said Qatar deals positively and openly with all comments and suggestions given to it regarding hosting the 2022 World Cup.
Qatar hosting this big event would be a great incentive for the Qatari government to fulfil all requirements contributing to the success of the event, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported yesterday.
Meanwhile, in a report submitted to the Geneva meeting (Universal Periodical Review of the UN Human Rights Commission where human rights situation of member countries is discussed), Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) called for a suitable alternative to the sponsorship law.
An alternative is needed to the sponsorship system to protect the rights of both foreign workers and their employers, said the rights body. It also called for raising the wages of labourers and improving labour camps.
The Peninsula
