Qatar gives utmost importance to protecting children’s rights and it believes that education has a vital role in safeguarding children. The country has enacted legislations and taken administrative measures to protect children in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which it joined in 1992. The country has adopted a comprehensive system to protect children by coordination between governmental and non-governmental agencies. Ministry of Social Development and Family (MSDF) ensures protection of children through its departments and institutions and supervises programmes and initiatives to protect children and provide them with a safe environment. Shafallah Centre offers care and protection of children with disabilities and the Protection and Social Rehabilitation Centre (AMAN) works to protect children from violence and neglect. The state has supported all regional and international efforts to enhance protection of children and has partnered with the United Nations and its agencies, and regional and international organisations to safeguard children. Qatar has established one of the world’s most advanced educational systems. It allocated QR41.4bn for health and education sectors in the national budget for the fiscal year 2025, accounting for 20 percent of the total spending. The huge spending on these two sectors underscores the country’s commitment to enhancing human capital and health services. The National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) monitors the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the protocols ratified by the country. Qatar has provided equal education and ensured that children and adolescents enjoy the highest standards of health. The NHRC raises awareness on children’s rights, and has a significant focus on raising awareness of the need to protect children’s rights in the digital environment. The Third National Forum for Human Rights, which was held in September last year, recommended tightening laws to safeguard children’s rights in the digital world. The forum in a communiqué suggested upgrading the legislative structure to keep pace with digital development, in a manner that includes criminalising all forms of violence and crimes committed against children in the digital world, including prohibiting inappropriate content that is harmful to the lives and healthy growth of children. The forum called for increased penalties for circulating websites with immoral content and those that encourage children to commit suicide and self-harm.
