The World Declaration on Children

The State of Qatar was represented at the World Summit for Children in 1990, signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1993, and ratified it in 1995. Articles of the Convention have been integrated into national legislation. Since ratification, the State of Qatar has committed itself to improving the level of protection for children living under difficult circumstances; as well as facilitating access to information and services on family planning in order to reduce early, close, late and recurrent pregnancies.

Action at the National and International Levels

National Programs

The World Declaration and the Plan of Action resulting from it are consistent with Qatar's national efforts to improve the situation of children in all areas, and comply with the priority given to children’s affairs by the state of Qatar
Moreover, the goals of the World Declaration were used as a guide to direct and enhance governmental and nongovernmental efforts at the state, community and family levels. To this end, a number of activities were implemented in the areas of health and education:

(a) Health

Establishing a program for providing services to mothers and children, including providing care and services to pregnant women, and immunization services against contagious childhood diseases; monitoring children's growth; establishing public clinics for mothers and infants; providing health education on mothers' and children's health.

• Carrying out the Qatar Family Health Survey in 1998, to monitor the health indicators relating to mother and child, in collaboration with the World Health Organization.
• Instituting a program for maternal and childhood health.
• Conducting a number of studies on contagious parasitic diseases and methods of eradicating them.
• Conducting a study on the dietary situation of pre-school children.
• Establishing a uniform system for health information.
• Setting up health training programs in the area of food inspection.

(b) Education

• Instituting programs to develop educational services for children, including early childhood care and education centers, and making early child-hood and basic education compulsory; as well as paying particular attention to the issues of gifted children and those with special needs.
• Starting programs aimed at developing educational service targeting mothers, including maternal care, maternal education, compulsory education for mothers, and eradication of illiteracy, as well as programs to prepare women for motherhood.
• Implementing a program for assessing the adequacy of education in the State of Qatar according to the standards set by UNESCO

Budgetary Allocation on Children's Issues

Within the framework of the State's initiative to give priority to issues dealing with children's welfare, the total sum of government expenditure on health and education amounted to 13.5% of total government expenditure for 1997. Although the allocation for health was 4.6%, while the allocation for education was 8.9%, the welfare and living standards of children, and that of people in general, is high in the State of Qatar.

The Role of Governmental and Non-Governmental organizations and the media

The National Plan for Childhood comprised a number of programs aiming at the effective use of communication to raise awareness and disseminate knowledge, trends and behaviors that enhance childcare, safety, and development.

At the level of governmental organizations:

• Al Khansa Public Library for women and children was established.
• A project for junior scientists was drawn up.
• Student councils and scouting programs were formed at state-run schools.
• Support was given to sports clubs.
• The Center for the Friends of the Environment was established.
• The number of schools affiliated to UNESCO was increased.

At the level of non-governmental organizations:

Al-Shafallah Center for Children with Special Needs, Qatar Diabetes Society, and Qatar Center for Child's Education were established.

In relation to the media:

Radio and television programs gave priority to family and children's issues by increasing broadcasting hours devoted to them as well as developing the types of programs that give space and air time to children's participation. Moreover, children's issues and family awareness enjoyed wider coverage in print media.

At the International level

With regard to co-ordination and co-operation with other countries and international organizations, the State of Qatar has carried out many programs in association with regional and international bodies, namely the Gulf Co-operation Council, the Arab League, and specialized world organizations such as UNICEF, UNIFEM, WHO and UNESCO.

Foremost among these:

• Forming the National Committee for Education, Culture and Science.
• Preparing the first report on child rights and presenting it to The Committee on the Rights of the Child.
• Carrying out the Mid-Decade Study in collaboration with the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council and UNICEF.
• Preparing the Qatar Family Health Survey for 1998 in collaboration with WHO.
• Revising the National Strategy on Health in collaboration with WHO.
• Participating in the revision of the Model Legislative Guideline for the Rights of the Arab Child Project in collaboration with the Arab League.

Assessment of Specific Actions at the End of Decade

Convention on the Rights of the Childs

The State of Qatar signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1993 and ratified it in 1995. Action relating to the Convention was included in national legislation.
The Supreme Council for Family Affairs was entrust-ed with the advancement and promotion of child-hood affairs by ensuring that other organizations involved carry out their assigned tasks in the area of child survival, protection and development. Additionally, voluntary and technical committees have been formed to monitor, evaluate and suggest the national standards for children's progress, and a specialized research unit has been established for this purpose. Work is currently being carried out to draft special laws dealing with children. At the level of raising social awareness of children's rights and the necessity for improving their conditions, a number of media and public awareness programs aimed at families and the community at large, were planned and implemented. Most notable among these, was the program for disseminating the Convention on the Rights of the Child to all schools, publishing it in local newspaper supplements and organizing public contests aimed at enhancing the general understanding of the philosophy, objectives and contents of the Convention as they relate to children's lives. Furthermore, plans are underway to ensure the participation of the children of Qatar in the International Day for Radio and Television Broadcasting in December 2001.

Child Health

Data from the Qatar Family Health Survey for 1998 and Vital Statistics indicate that the State of Qatar has achieved tangible progress in meeting the inter-national goals stated in the World Declaration and the national goals stated in the National Plan for Childhood for the year 1992. These include:
Reducing infant mortality from 12.6 cases per 1000 live births in 1990 to 12.0 cases in 1996 and 10.3 cases per 1,000 live births in 1999. This success is due to the effectiveness of health programs and the implementation of preventive and therapeutic measures; the promotion of breast-feeding and the implementation of health services offered to mother and child as well as health education programs.
Reducing under-five mortality from 16.3 cases per 1000 live births in 1990 to 14.6 cases in 1996 and to 12.7 cases in 1999 . This reduction can be attributed to the rise in the level of child and mother health care and to the expansion of preventive health and immunization programs to include all sectors of the population. In addition, improved water safety; improved hygiene within the home environment; the rising levels of education in the family; and the increase in health education pro-grams, have also been contributing factors.
No poliomyelitis cases were registered during the 1990s. This is due to the effectiveness of the immunization programs.
No neonatal tetanus cases were registered during the 1990s as all births occurred under proper medical supervision in medical institutions.
No under-five deaths from measles were registered during the 1990s due to the effectiveness of the immunization program.
Under-five measles cases declined from 132 cases in 1990 to 83 in 1995 and 28 cases in 1999 due to the effectiveness public health awareness and immunization programs.
Immunization coverage against major childhood diseases (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, measles, poliomyelitis, and tuberculosis) rose to 90% exceeding international targets.

Diet and Nutrition

Anemia is considered among the most widespread medical problems among pregnant women due to several factors, mainly close and successive pregnancies, as indicated by the Qatar Family Health Survey study for 1998. Because no national figures on this indicator are available, this effort highlighted the need to prepare and execute a mechanism for collecting this information from the medical centers and hospitals which offer services and care to pregnant women, in order to understand the magnitude of this phenomenon, its causes, and remedies.
Success was achieved in reducing low birth weight (below 2.5 kg) to less than 10% during the 1990s.
According to the Qatar Family Health Survey breast-feeding is not prevalent in Qatar. Exclusive breast-feeding rate reached 11.7%. In this context, a decree was issued for the formation of a breast-feeding committee and converting maternal and childhood care hospitals and health centers into baby-friendly initiatives.
Concerning measures adopted to improve the facilities available for infant care, Qatari law allows working mothers a sixty-day maternity leave, and provides them a daily one-hour leave for breast-feeding.

Family Planning and Health of Mothers

During the 1990s over 99% of births occurred in public hospitals under advanced medical supervision. Only three maternal mortality cases were registered, one for each of the following years 1994, 1996 and 1997 when maternal mortality ratios were 9.3, 9.7, and 9.6 per 100,000 live births respectively.
A standing committee was formed to monitor, register and report on maternal mortality and deter-mine their causes. The committee is currently con-ducting a study on this issue.
Under-five mortality rate declined from 16.3 to 12.7 cases per 1000 live births for males and females between 1990 and 1999, i.e. a decline of 22%. The same rate of decline was registered for females for the same period, from 14.5 to 12.1 mortalities per each 1000 birth, i.e. a decline of 19%. For males the same rate of decline from 18 to 13.4 mortalities per 1000 births, i.e. a decline of 34% during the same years . In both cases, the goals stated in the World Declaration were achieved.
The Qatar Family Health Survey indicates that 92% of mothers who gave birth during the last three years received antenatal care by a physician or a specialized nurse. As for the 8% of the women who did not receive antenatal care, 58% attributed the reason (according to the same study) to their own experience with pregnancy and antenatal care, while 24% of them attributed the reason to not having experienced any pregnancy-related health problems.
Generally speaking, HIV is rare in the State of Qatar. The conservative nature of the Qatari society, the teachings of Islam; the increased awareness about the disease, and the vigilance of health authorities, have all contributed to keeping the disease at bay and below the level of other countries with similar demographics and characteristics as Qatar. Moreover, the procedures adopted by the State concerning the influx of foreign labor and other visitors have been highly effective in curbing the disease.
Concerning the use of contraceptives, 69% of married women or those who had been married used one contraceptive method or another, and 43% of the presently married women use contraceptives.
The rate of contraceptive use among women rose from 32% in 1987 to 43% in 1999, i.e. and increase of about 34%.
The fertility rate for women (ages 15-19) dropped from 57 children per 1000 women in 1990 to 36 children in 1999, i.e. a decline of 36% . This decline is due to the rise in marriage age, which is attributed to the tendency of this age group to pursue further education and join the workforce.
The total fertility rate dropped from 4.7 in 1990 to 3.2 in 1999. The total overall fertility rate for the last four years was close to 3.2.
Access to and availability of maternal health care for pregnant women was maintained throughout the decade and reached 100%. The availability of maternal health care facilities includes hospitals, medical centers and private clinics. The rate of child-birth care has also reached 100% throughout the decade.

Role of the Family

The family is considered the primary social institution which supervises providing a suitable environment for children's care and growth. Accordingly, Qatar has adopted a number of national initiatives aimed at preserving the family structure and offering a great deal of material and moral assistance. One of the most important initiatives is the establishment of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs as a consultative, research and monitoring and coordinating organization and which is currently implementing a number of child-assistance programs, such as establishing family counseling centers. A number of programs have been adopted dealing with improving the role of women in the economic, social, and political spheres; establishing model child care centers; con-ducting research to assess the role of foreign domestic help on children; and researching a number of youth-related issues.

Elementary Education and Eradication of illiteracy

The percentage of children reaching grade five rose from 64.4% for the years 89/90 and 90/91 to 87.5% for the years 96/97 and 97/98. With regard to gender, this percentage rose for males from 57.5% to 82.3% and for females from 72.3% to 92.5% between the aforementioned periods. Generally speaking, the rates achieved have surpassed the 80% rate identified in the goals of the World Declaration.
Total primary first grade school attendance rate maintained high levels through the decade, as total attendance was 115% in 89/90 and 107% in 97/98. This indicates the education system's ability to offer the opportunity for attendance at first grade to those who are of official school age.
Exceeding 100% is due to the enrollment of a large number of pupils above the official school age (27.5%) in state-run schools and below the official school age (61.3%) in private schools. With regard to gender, no significant disparity was noticed between males and females, and this indicates gender equality of primary school attendance rates.
Net first grade primary school attendance rate at official school age dropped from 73% in 89/90 to 62% in 97/98. This percentage reached 64% for males and 58% for females in the year 97/98. .
Net primary school enrollment ratios were maintained between the year 90/91 and 97/98, and both rates reached 93.7% and 93.9% respectively.
Attendance at preschool stage rose from 16.2% in 89/90 to 26.6% in 97/98. This percentage rose among males from 16% to 27% and among females from 16% to 25% in the same year. Despite continuous encouragement of early childhood development programs, attendance is still below targeted levels. In response to this, the concerned agencies plan to begin carrying out a number of procedures to mainstream early childhood education facilities into the general education system, as well as plans to establish model public early childhood education centers. The Ministry of Education supervises private sector childhood development and education centers as well as all private sector education.
The literacy rate among adults rose from 57.7% in 1986 to 83.2% in 1998. With regard to gender, the percentage for females rose from 72.5% to 80.9%, and for males from 76.8% to 84.2% between the above mentioned years. Therefore, total illiteracy for both men and women dropped from 24.3% in 1986 to 16.7% in 1997. It is notable, however, that illiteracy is more prevalent in the higher age groups, as the percentage of illiterates over 60 years old reached 61.5% in 1997 (80% females and 48.5% males), and illiteracy among 15-19 age group reached 2.5% in 1997 (2.9% females and 2.2% males).

Children in Especially Difficult Circumstances

The total number of handicapped children under the age of 15 is 9 cases per 1000 children (10.8 per 1000 males, and 7.1 for females). Among these, 31% are mental handicaps, 22% sensory ones, 19% accident-caused and 28% are of other sorts.

Child Protection During Armed Conflicts

The State of Qatar endeavors to ensure the protection of all children under all circumstances. This protection comes through state, community and family organizations. Despite the absence of armed conflict in Qatar, Qatari legislation includes the basics for ensuring child safety in dangerous situation. In all circumstances and emergency situations, child safety and protection is the first priority.

Children and the Environment

Stemming from the awareness that child safety, protection and development are closely linked to pro-viding a suitable, natural and social environment, the government of Qatar has taken great care to ensure that the environment responds adequately to children's needs. This has been among the issues to which both the legislative and executive bodies have given top priority.
To this end, the Supreme Council for Environment and Natural Protection was established, as well as the Center for Friends of the Environment, which gears its activities to children. Additionally, Qatari organizations attach special importance to providing the child with a safe environment, free from pollution, noise and crowding. Great care is taken to provide a child-friendly environment when designing educational and recreational programs and institutions. School curricula have also started to deal with environmental education in order to create awareness and foster a healthy orientation relationship between the children and their environment.

Alleviation of Poverty and Economic Development

Poverty is not a major concern in Qatari society. However, the State has adopted a number of supportive economic and financial initiatives to improve the quality of family life and encourage economic development. Generally speaking, the majority of Qatar lives above the poverty level and enjoys government-subsidized goods and services. Therefore, the general welfare level, which these initiatives provide, serves to ensure that children are well taken care of.

Lessons Learned

The process of preparing this Report provided the opportunity to review the status of children in Qatar; the performance of organizations concerned with children's issues; the effectiveness of programs targeting children; the adequacy of services provided to them; and the success of policies and initiatives adopted by the State. This process contributed to understanding the reasons behind some programs' ability to achieve their goals, as well as some of the reasons, which hindered achievement or progress.

Factors which contributed to achieving success

• The political will to achieve tangible results in the area of the advancement of children progress, as evidenced by the priority placed on children's issues at the highest levels of government.
• The availability of financial resources to implement programs.
• The substantial and consistent regional and international co-operation in the area of childhood.
• The existence of previous plans and programs which were consulted in implementing the programs.
• The adequacy of the infrastructure in which ser-vices and programs can be provided and implemented.
• The existence of a central body to offer medical services.
• The effectiveness of the immunization programs.
• The small size of the population which facilitated approaching the issues and dealing with them effectively, and implementing development programs with a high degree of coverage.
• The high level of awareness and open-minded-ness within the society.

Factors which Impeded Achieving Goals

Population: Qatar is considered one of the main manpower-receiving countries in the region. Arrivals from Arab and Asian countries for temporary stays make up the majority of the population. The limited periods of time expatriates spend and the constant mobility of manpower has affected the implementation of plans and the assessment of indicators associated with the goals of the World Declaration.
Data: The level of services the State offers to nationals and residents, and the reflection of these services on public health and economic and social welfare, has led to the feeling that there is no need to assess the adequacy of services or their efficiency. There is, therefore, a need to develop indicators and implement programs to meet international standards.
Co-ordination: Many institutions work on providing childhood services in many areas relating to the child, and many often offer the same services. The over bureaucratization and the poor level of inter-organizational communication, have contributed to a duplication in programs, the waste of resource and an inability to learn from the experiences gained by other institutions. * Rights of the Child: The Arab community is characterized by strong family ties and social co-operation. Children in the Arab world enjoy special attention and occupy an important position in the family structure. Yet, aware-ness of the special nature of the child and his /her legal rights based on a developmental approach is a newly-introduced concept to Arab culture. Childcare is regarded as a moral obligation on the part of the parents and the community more than a civil obligation. Therefore, the response to the child from the viewpoint of his/her status as a social being with rights is an issue which needs further awareness raising
Level of Community Participation: Despite the existence of evidence of a growing voluntary movement, people's investment of surplus energy, time, effort and money in their society is still below the desired level

Future Activities

Carrying out a situation analysis in the State of Qatar focusing on physical, mental, social, emotion-al and spiritual development of children, as well as the natural and social environment of the child, specifying the impediments that affect the child's quality of life, and the effectiveness of programs catering to the development of the child and to establishing future programs on basis of this study.
Reviewing and assessing the present status of the national information centers and databases in the spheres of childhood in order to develop them.
Adopting global and regional programs to promote the exchange of successful expertise and experience on childhood progress and development.
There is a need now to re-arrange priorities in a way that ensures approaching a new group and an advanced level of indicators, particularly in the area of early childhood education centers, youth and literacy, and to direct financial and technical resources towards these goals.

The Qatari Institution for Orphans Care

The Qatari Institution for Orphans Care is a private institution with as independent identical entity fully qualified to behave freely and its headquarters are here in Doha.

The Culture center of Childhood

The Culture center of Childhood is a private institution with an independent recognized identity, fully qualified to work freely and its headquarters is in Doha city.