A/HRC/44/57/Add.33 In the light of the comments made above by way of introduction, the State of Qatar has the honor to submit the following comments and observations on the report of the Special Rapporteur: II. Efforts of the State of Qatar in combating racial discrimination A. Legal and institutional framework for eliminating racial discrimination Para 8: We submit that the State of Qatar’s national legal framework, including the Constitution and other relevant legislation, encompasses the general rules underpinning the provisions of the ICERD in which the principles of equality and non-discrimination are essential elements. In order to ensure that these rights and freedoms are not restricted or diminished Article (146) of the Constitution stipulated that “provisions related to rights and public freedoms shall not be modified, except within the limits that are intended to give more guarantees for the benefit of the citizen”. Therefore, the principles of equality and non-discrimination are among the main constitutional principles that are preserved and protected, and no legislation can be passed that goes against or undermines these principles. This constitutional protection was strengthened by the establishment of the Supreme Constitutional Court by Law No. 12 for 2008, issued on 18 June 2008, which is concerned with disputes settlement related to the constitutional laws and regulations. In addition, the State of Qatar has acceded to seven of the core human rights conventions, which have acquired the force of law according to article 68 of the Constitution, especially after its ratification, publication in the official Gazette Para 12: Based on the Emiri decree no.70 of 2018, the Planning and Statistics Authority was established with a mandate, among other tasks, to set up an integrated statistical system, implement various censuses and surveys and disseminate statistical data and products. This planning and statistics authority provides periodic statistics, detailing the age, sex and number of Qataris and non-Qataris. According to article (20) of the Constitution “The State shall strive to strengthen the spirit of national unity, cooperation, and fraternity among all citizens.” The law also punishes the disruption of national cohesion and provocation of tribal strife. For example, article (47) of the press and publication law (8) for 1979, prohibits the publication of all material that sows discord among the individuals of the society or motivates sectarian, racial or religious trends. Article 47 states that the penalties for breaching the Act are those set out in the Criminal Code, namely, a term of up to 6 months imprisonment or a fine of up to 3,000 Qatari riyals. Law no. (13) of 2016 on Privacy and Protection of Personal Data provided in Article 16 that “Data that can be classified as personal data are those relating to ethnic origin, children, health or mental and physical condition, and religious believes”. Also Law no. 14 of 2014 promulgating the Cybercrime Prevention Law provides that: “Any person who …, publishes photos or video or audio recordings related to the sanctity of people’s private or family life or insult or slander others shall be punished”, thus ensuring the safety and proper exercise of these freedoms, and to prevent their misuse. discriminatory measures taken by the government of the UAE against Qatari citizens, with the support of 15 judges. The Committee to Monitor the Implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), issued a decision to accept the complaints submitted by the State of Qatar against the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, regarding discriminatory measures imposed on Qatari citizens since June 2017. 4