Qatar protecting rights of workers: Envoy

DOHA: Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to Qatar Willy Kempel said yesterday that Qatar government’s handling of the rights of workers and the investigation of labour files is a kind of protection of human security.

Addressing a lecture on human security organised by the Diplomatic Institute of the Foreign Ministry the Ambassador underlined that the Gulf crisis has caused human rights violations and expressed his regret over the damage caused by the siege imposed on Qatar, especially on Gulf families.

The Ambassador said that the violations to human rights caused by the Gulf crisis were documented by the National Human Rights Committee in Qatar, noting that his embassy had sent those documented violations to the Austrian government, QNA reported.

He expressed regret that the families of both sides were affected by the siege.

The Austrian Ambassador commended Qatar for taking the right and proper measures to protect the human rights in Qatar.

The Ambassador said that Qatar and Austria are small in size, but they have decided to play a prominent role globally, noting that the two countries share many values, including faith in collective action and openness to the world. On the Yemen crisis, the Ambassador described it as a “great tragedy”, noting that more than 1.5 million displaced people in Yemen need humanitarian assistance.

Meanwhile, the Austrian Ambassador described the Syrian crisis as the “big problem” that has gone out of control, stressing the need for international consensus on the solution in Syria and Yemen. He underlined that the concept of human security means protecting the security of individuals, stressing the importance of an international community’s action to ensure the protection of human rights.