Overview of Human Rights in Qatar

The State of Qatar is a traditional monarchy. The Emir exercises full executive power in the land. A new constitution came into effect in 2005, which contained human rights provisions that were yet to be implemented. While the human rights situation did improve in recent years, some problems remain while others have recently emerged.  The government, which lacks transparency, limits the freedoms of speech, press, religion, assembly and association. It also has the ability to revoke citizenship and restrict worker rights.  Human trafficking and legal discrimination against women are also concerns.  Overall, Qatar has one of the better human rights records in the Middle East.

Human Development Index (HDI) Rank:

46th out of 177

Note: Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite index that measures the level of well-being of nations in the world. It uses factors such as poverty, literacy, life-expectancy, education, gross domestic product, and purchasing power parity to assess the average achievements in each nation. It has been used in the United Nation’s Human Development Report since 1993.