Shura Council approves draft law governing the right to access information

The Shura Council convened its ordinary weekly meeting today under the chairmanship of HE Speaker of the Shura Council Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim. At the beginning of the meeting, the Secretary General of the Shura Council Dr. Ahmed Nasser Ibrahim Al Fadhala read the session's agenda and endorsed the agenda of the previous session. The council reviewed a draft law amending some provisions of Decree-Law No. 17 of 2010 organizing the national committee for human rights forwarded to the council by the esteemed government. After discussing extensively on the subject, the council endorsed the above stated draft law. The council proceeded with its work, where it was briefed on the Legal and Legislative Affairs Committee of Shura Council report pertaining to the draft law governing the right to access information. Having reviewed the content of the committee's report and further discussing its details, the council approved the draft law as received from the esteemed government. HE Speaker of the Shura Council Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim briefed the council on his meeting with the Vice President of the Republic of India Venkaiah Naidu, explaining that the meeting addressed a wide range of topics related to the bilateral relations between the two countries. HE Speaker of the Shura Council confirmed that he had conveyed to the Vice President of the Republic of India, the disappointment of the Qatari people with the offensive statements made by an official in the ruling party in India against the Prophet Muhammad (May God bless him and grant him peace), Islam and Muslims, indicating that such statements do not help rapprochement between peoples. The council was also briefed on the report of HE Member of the Council Nasser bin Metrif Issa Al Humaidi on the participation in the Arab parliaments' dialogue on the 4th revision of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing that was held via video conference last May.