Mr President,

Regrettably, we find ourselves compelled, once again, to raise the situation of the Baha’is in Qatar in this esteemed forum. Despite ongoing efforts to engage in dialogue with Qatari officials both by Baha’is in Qatar and the Baha’i International Community, we have seen no significant steps being taken by the Qatari authorities to resolve the longstanding discrimination against the Baha'is– this, despite the delegation’s own statement on 8 March at this Council stressing the necessity of promoting a culture of dialogue and respect for diversity.

Since our last statement to this Council, four more Baha’is have either been expelled from employment, or denied certificates of good conduct needed for them to change their employer or sponsor. Yet these are law abiding residents and the authorities have not provided justification for these actions.

On 3rd October 2023, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recommended to Qatar that it “take positive measures to prevent and address the discrimination faced by religious minorities, notably members of the Baha’i religious community, and to remove all obstacles to the enjoyment of their economic, social and cultural rights.”

The Baha’i International Community restates its continued readiness to engage in dialogue with Qatari authorities, to identify measures that can be taken to help redress the ongoing discrimination which the Baha’is in Qatar face solely because of their religious beliefs.