A/HRC/42/2 876. India welcomed the adhesion by Qatar to two international conventions as well as the legislative reforms undertaken, including the amendment of the legal framework on the rights of migrants. India also noted the action plan of Qatar to combat trafficking and efforts to empower women and include them in all areas of society. 4. General comments made by other stakeholders 877. During the adoption of the outcome of the review of Qatar, 10 other stakeholders made statements.** 878. The Iraqi Development Organization was concerned that, firstly, Qatar did not commit to ratifying the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, abolishing the kafala system, and guaranteeing migrants’ rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. Secondly, the country did not endorse recommendations allowing Qatari women to pass on their nationality to their children, and certain groups such as the Bedouin remained stateless, while, under the nationality law, individuals may be stripped of their citizenship if they joined “a group whose purpose is to undermine the State”. Thirdly, Qatar refused to amend legislation violating the right to freedom of expression, including press and cybercrime laws punishing criticism. 879. Institut international pour les droits et le développement noted the accession by Qatar to the International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and seven principal human rights instruments. It commended efforts advancing the human rights of women, and legislation that improved the situation of migrant workers and the abolition of the kafala system. It called upon Qatar to undertake additional legislative reforms to promote the rights of migrant workers and to review its viewpoint on discrimination against women and the passing-on of citizenship to the children of Qatari women. 880. CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation denounced the restrictions on civil space and stated that laws placed considerable hurdles, restrictions and fines on civil society looking to form associations or assemble peacefully. Despite revisions made to Qatar’s kafala system, the authorities restricted the rights of foreign workers to join unions or engage in peaceful strike action. Human rights defenders faced restrictions in their work, including travel bans and threats of detention. Freedom of expression remained under threat, with closure of the Doha Centre for Media Freedom, and the Cybercrimes Prevention Law heavily penalizing journalists and researchers, including fines and prison sentences. 881. International-Lawyers.org noted that domestic violence and marital rape had not been criminalized under the penal law. As a result, such violence against women was tolerated by some communities and women who were victims frequently failed to report cases. While commending Qatar’s ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and other human rights treaties, it stated that the legal requirements of these treaties should be transferred to the domestic legal system. It recommended that Qatar criminalize domestic violence and sexual abuse in penal law, remove all reservations to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and continue efforts to improve awareness and support of women’s issues. 882. The Center for Inquiry commended the decision of Qatar to accept the recommendation to “remove existing restrictions on the free exercise of freedom of religion and belief” and stated that the country should scrap its anachronistic apostasy and blasphemy legislation. It lamented that, of the 270 recommendations made, many dealing with the ** The statements of stakeholders that were unable to deliver them owing to time constraints which were made available are posted on the extranet of the Human Rights Council, at https://extranet.ohchr.org/sites/hrc/HRCSessions/RegularSessions/42Session/Pages/default.aspx 128