Third Qatar Law Forum Concludes

The Third Qatar Law Forum organized by the Qatar International Court and Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Center, under the theme of rule of law: peace, justice and effective institutions, concluded today.

HE President of the Court of Cassation and Chairman of the Supreme Judicial Council Masoud Mohammed Al Amri underlined the importance of the topics discussed during the panel discussions over the span of two days of the forum and covered a number of important topics in the field of combating corruption, enabling displaced people, fighting modern slavery, strengthening the activation of the role of judicial institutions and promoting the concept of financial inclusion.

Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), CEO of Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre (QICDRC) Faisal Rashid Al Sahouti said the current edition of the forum focused on goal number 16 on the UN Sustainable Development Goals which includes peace, justice and strong institutions.

He added that the legal sector in the country has both local and international responsibilities and with regards to the international responsibility, invitations were sent out last March to lawyers abroad that have a close relation with the legal sector of the State of Qatar to attend the forum. He said the invitations were met with great response from the experts and specialists who work in international and legal entities in the UK, other European countries and East Asia, who responded within the first week of receiving the invitation, due to their belief in the importance of the forum.

Al Sahouti confirmed that with organizing the forum, the State of Qatar is leaving a mark in the international community, and UN bodies in the promotion of the principle of the rule of law. Al Sahouti said the forum was held in an ideal time as the State of Qatar always predicts in advance to offer solutions for issues that may arise in any day. He expressed his hope that the forum had provided a legal platform for the world where through it topics were easily discussed while they may not be discussed this freely in many other platforms.

Al Sahouti said the forum also discussed modern slavery which includes the topic of labors, where the State of Qatar had a major role, as it communicated with the whole world to receive the best advice to avoid any issue in this file. Al Sahouti said what proves Qatar’s success on this topic particularly is the recent closure by the International Labor Organization of the complaint against the State of Qatar in this regard, which is recognizes the important steps the State has taken to develop the modern labor system to be fair for both employers and employees.

Al Sahouti added that the State of Qatar aims to be an regional idol for many topics and issues which discussing them may be described as a courageous, especially that many platforms are very reluctant to discuss topics such as anti-corruption, enabling displaced people, fighting modern slaver, strengthening the activation of the role of judicial institutions and promote the concept of financial inclusion.

Al Sahouti affirmed that the rule of law is of top priority to the State of Qatar in every factor of the legislative elements currently existing, and that the authorities and governmental institutions carry out their duties and responsibilities to the fullest extent without interference, hence consolidating the principle of the rule of law.

Prior to the closing of the Forum, a panel discussion has been held on how the principle of the rule of law played a vital role in the mainstreaming of financial services. During the Session QFC Authority Chief Executive Officer Yousuf Mohammed Al Jaida state that “The rule of law is a critical component in advancing financial inclusion globally; it can help protect human rights, facilitate equality and enable citizens and businesses to safely and freely fulfill their goals.” He continued: “In order to achieve the ambitious agenda of advancing financial inclusion and closing the global financial inclusion gap, cross-sector collaboration and public-private partnerships to successfully implement, measure and advance rule of law over time in developed and developing markets are necessary.” Speaking about what role fintech can play in improving financial inclusion, Al Jaida said: “Current fintech developments present a unique opportunity for the promotion of financial inclusion and stability in emerging markets, it is playing a big role in providing access to those that may have in the past found it difficult.” He concluded: “Innovation, education and expanding the reach of affordable and accessible financial services should be pursued together, with technology typically playing a central role in enabling the provision of financial services to displaced persons.” The forum was held with the participation of more than 500 participants, including former heads of state and government, ministers of justice and heads of judicial authorities. The forum discussed a number of important topics in the fields of combating corruption, empowering displaced people, combating modern slavery and enhancing the role of judicial institutions by providing a leading interactive platform that hosts a selection of high court presidents, judges, lawyers, academics and legal experts at the local, regional and international levels to put their experiences and expertise to the attention of the audience and participants to address issues related to respect and enforcement of the rule of law.

The theme of the Forum this year was the sixteenth United Nations goal of sustainable development, which addresses the topics of peace, justice and strong institutions. In this context, the Forum sought to address the most important legal and technical challenges facing the United Nations development goals approved by the General Assembly in September 2015 and to provide the best solutions to ensure the achievement of sustainable development goals and targets by 2030

Source: FANA