Human rights bodies of Nepal and Qatar have signed a 10-point agreement to ensure the rights of Nepalis working in Qatar.

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chairman Anup Raj Sharma and Ali bin Samikh al-Marri, chairman of Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee, signed the agreement on Monday amid a function in Doha, the capital city of Qatar. The agreement signed for four years came into effect soon after its signing on Monday. With this agreement, migrant workers and their relatives can lodge complaints at the National Human Rights Committee about the problems faced by Nepali workers in the Gulf state.

“The NHRC wants guarantee of human rights of the migrant workers as per the laws of Qatar. This agreement could be a milestone for the welfare of migrant workers,” Sharma told the Post after the agreement. Sharma said the NHRC would establish a separate desk in Nepal to hear complaints of the workers and would accordingly recommend the National Human Rights Committee for the implementation.

Addressing the meeting attended by high level officials of Nepal and Qatar, al-Marri said that he would recommend his government to ensure security and promote human rights of Nepali migrant workers. There are around 400,000 migrant workers in Qatar. “Large numbers of Nepali families depend on the workers,” said Sharma, adding that they have created a favourable condition with the Qatari authorities to coordinate and share information about the migrant workers.

As per the agreement, the human rights bodies will urge the governments of both the countries to prevent labour exploitation, human trafficking and forced labour. They will also work to raise awareness about human rights among workers.