KATHMANDU, Nepal – The Nepalese National Human Rights Commission and Qatar’s National Human Rights Commission signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday to work together to protect the rights of migrant workers.

According to the MoU, the goal is to strengthen cooperation through closer collaboration in exchanging information ranging from migrant worker complaints to legislative procedures.

The pact was signed on behalf of their respective organizations by Top Bahadur Magar, chairman of Nepal’s National Human Rights Commission, and Mohammed Saif Al-Kuwari, deputy chairman of Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee.

According to Al-Kuwari, signing the MoU was the best way for the two countries to collaborate on human rights issues.

“I believe it’s a good opportunity to exchange information about migrant workers, especially now that we’ve invited over 400,000 Nepalese workers,” he said.

Magar said, “Despite frameworks such as international human rights laws, global and regional mechanisms, guidelines, and national legislation, workers migrating overseas face numerous challenges.

“There is an urgent need to ensure that businesses uphold the human rights of migrant workers per internationally recognized standards,” Magar said.

Qatar is a popular labor destination for Nepalis. However, Nepali workers in the country hosting the World Cup last year have frequently been subjected to human and labor rights violations.

International human rights organizations, migrant rights groups, workers’ families, labor unions, and fans worldwide have demanded that Qatar compensate the workers for the injustices they have endured.

According to the Department of Foreign Employment, nearly 102,000 Nepalis received labor approval for Qatar in the first nine months of the current fiscal year, which ended in mid-April.