A/HRC/42/15 Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1, held its thirty-third session from 6 to 17 May 2019. The review of Qatar was held at the 15th meeting, on 15 May 2019. The delegation of Qatar was headed by Soltan bin Saad al-Muraikhi, State Minister for Foreign Affairs. At its 18th meeting, held on 17 May 2019, the Working Group adopted the report on Qatar. 2. On 15 January 2019, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of Qatar: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 3. In accordance with paragraph 15 of the annex to Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 and paragraph 5 of the annex to Council resolution 16/21, the following documents were issued for the review of Qatar: (a) A national report submitted/written presentation made in accordance with paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/33/QAT/1); (b) A compilation prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in accordance with paragraph 15 (b) (A/HRC/WG.6/33/QAT/2); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/33/QAT/3). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by Bahrain, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, on behalf of the Group of Friends on national implementation, reporting and follow-up, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Uruguay was transmitted to Qatar through the troika. These questions are available on the website of the universal periodic review. I. Summary of the proceedings of the review process A. Presentation by the State under review 5. The delegation referred to the national report to the Working Group and expressed the importance and value accorded to the universal periodic review mechanism in terms of improving, strengthening and promoting the commitments of States under international human rights law. 6. The promotion and protection of human rights were at the forefront of the State’s priorities and constituted the cornerstone of its comprehensive reform policy, as affirmed in the Qatar National Vision 2030, the First National Development Strategy (2011–2016) and the Second National Development Strategy (2018–2022). 7. Since the second review cycle, the efforts of Qatar to promote and protect human rights had led to important developments, such as its accession to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (under Decrees Nos. 40 and 41 of 2018). It was thus party to seven of the nine core international human rights conventions. 8. Qatar had pursued major legislative reforms, including amendments to the legal framework regulating the rights of expatriate workers. The following pieces of legislation had been enacted: Act No. 1 of 2015, amending certain provisions of the Labour Code (Law No. 14 of 2004), on the protection of workers’ wages; Act No. 21 of 2015, regulating the entry, departure and residency of migrant workers and abolishing the kafalah sponsorship system; Act No. 13 of 2017, on committees for the settlement of labour disputes; Act No. 15 of 2017, on domestic workers, consistent with the provisions of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189); 2