Geneva: HE Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Office in Geneva, Dr. Hind Abdulrahman Al Muftah, participated in a high-level informal discussion marking the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Human Rights Council under the theme, “Twenty Years, One Council: What Have We Achieved and Where Do We Go From?”, held in Geneva on Friday.
During her remarks, Dr. Al Muftah said that as the international community commemorates the Council’s 20th anniversary, the State of Qatar joins other nations in recognizing the Council’s significant contributions to promoting and protecting human rights over the past two decades.
She highlighted the Council’s unique institutional framework, particularly through the Universal Periodic Review mechanism, special procedures, technical cooperation initiatives, and active stakeholder participation. These mechanisms, she noted, have helped strengthen national capacities, encourage constructive dialogue, and facilitate the exchange of experiences among countries.
Dr. Al Muftah emphasized that the persistence of conflicts, humanitarian crises, and serious human rights violations around the world underscores the importance of focusing on implementation and achieving tangible outcomes. She stressed that the true measure of the Council’s success lies in its ability to bring about meaningful improvements in people’s lives.
Looking to the future, she underscored the need to ensure that the Council remains effective, credible, and capable of addressing challenges in an increasingly complex international environment. She called for strengthening the Council’s preventive role through enhanced implementation, capacity building, and technical cooperation.
The Qatari envoy further stressed that efforts to improve the Council’s effectiveness should result in greater impact while preserving its inclusiveness, transparency, and intergovernmental character. She also highlighted the importance of strengthening coordination between Geneva and New York and reinforcing the interconnection between human rights, development, peace, and security.
Concluding her remarks, Dr. Al Muftah affirmed that building trust among member states, respecting diverse perspectives, and maintaining a spirit of cooperation will remain essential to the future success of the Human Rights Council.
