Qatar urges Arab justice ministers to put joint laws into practice
The minister also backed Palestinians' legal rights and called for digital reform and shared expertise on artificial intelligence in justice systems.
Qatar urged Arab justice ministers at a meeting in Algiers on Wednesday to turn joint legislation into working tools, Qatar's state news agency QNA reported.
Justice Minister Ibrahim bin Ali bin Issa Al Hassan Al Mohannadi, who also serves as Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, led Qatar's delegation to the 42nd session of the Council of Arab Ministers of Justice and said shared challenges make closer Arab cooperation in the sector necessary.
He called for better coordination among competent authorities, greater information exchange, and stronger mechanisms for judicial and legal cooperation.
Al Mohannadi said the real test of joint Arab action is whether drafted laws are applied and implemented effectively, not only whether they are written.
He asked for existing Arab agreements to be activated and for decisions and recommendations to be followed up.
He also highlighted proposed initiatives on judicial cooperation, specialized networks and the exchange of experience on alternative sentencing.
He urged countries to adopt digital transformation in their justice systems and to share Arab expertise on governing artificial intelligence in the legal field, while protecting legal safeguards and rights.
Al Mohannadi thanked Arab states for supporting the Arab Permanent Committee for International Humanitarian Law, an initiative first proposed by Qatar, and said Qatar would work with its partners to ensure the committee succeeds.
On the Palestinian issue, he said grave violations of international humanitarian law against the Palestinian people give Arab justice ministers an added duty to defend international law, and he stressed that accountability and an end to impunity are essential.
He reiterated Qatar's support for the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
During the session, the council discussed existing Arab conventions, including those on the suppression of terrorism, combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism, combating information technology offenses and countering corruption.
The council also reviewed several draft model Arab laws, covering combating drugs and psychotropic substances, preventing hate speech, protecting and assisting displaced persons in Arab states, and protecting children from recruitment in armed conflicts.
It further addressed closer cooperation between the secretariats of the Arab justice and interior ministers councils, the 2027 work program of the Arab Center for Legal and Judicial Research, and the technical secretariat's work program until the 43rd session.
The Council of Arab Ministers of Justice operates within the framework of the League of Arab States and brings together justice ministers to draft model laws and conventions that member states may adopt in their own legal systems.