Kathmandu, December 18, 2016:Â Nepal Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) of Qatar have signed the 11-point Activation Plan of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on migration amid a programme here Sunday.
NHRC Chairperson Anup Raj Sharma and Qatar’s Committee Chairperson Dr Ali Bin Samikh Al-Marri signed the agreement, coinciding with the International Migrants Day.
A 10-point bilateral MoU was signed on November 16th in 2015 in view of securing the welfare of the Nepalis migrant workers in Qatar.
The activation plan seeks to bring into effect the MoU in the wake of the recently introduced new labour law in Qatar and establishment of the labour agreement between the two countries.
The major points included in the 11-point activation plan are- appointing a contact person in respective human rights’ agencies for the effective exchange of information, imparting training to private foreign employment agencies and NHRC, Qatar providing legal support to the Nepalis workers in Qatar and looking into the grievances of the Nepalis in Qatar for facilitation of the petitioners.
Moreover, the action plan states that capacity shall be built among the officials of both, the Labour and Ministry of Interior in Qatar and those of the concerned Ministry in Nepal, cooperating for the research and study on the issues of the Nepali migrant workers concerning their professional security and health and enabling employees for facilitation for the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions among others.
A mid-year progress review of the MoU shall be conducted and exchanged the review with the Forum, according to the Activation Plan.
On the occasion, NHRC Chairman Sharma shared that that the first ever MoU was signed with the South Korea in 2010 for the protection of the rights of the Nepali migrants workers there.
He also expressed his confidence that the signing of the activation plan would play an important role for protection of human rights of the Nepalis migrant workers in Qatar.
Likewise, NHRC Qatar Chair Dr Al-Marri informed that his country had been receiving a large numbers of foreign migrant workers, including Nepali ones, every year and the Qatari government had undertaken various initiatives for their welfare.
He added that the Qatari government on December 13 this year had announced to develop legislations and national mechanism to promote and protect the workers’ rights, aimed at facilitating the foreign workers’ entry, exist and stay in Qatar.
NHRC Member Sudip Pathak reaffirmed the commitment of the human rights’ agencies in both countries for the implementation of the MoU.
The validity of the 10-point MoU between Nepal and Qatar would last for four years and could be extended if need be.
Source: RSS
 and NHRC of Qatar have signed the 11-point Activation Plan of Memorandum of Understanding on migration.){kind=link}