Qatar opened its first ever seminar on human rights on Monday, a rare event in the Gulf region where governments face accusations of rights abuses and a lack of political freedom.

The conference is being held seven months after Qatar created a national committee on human rights as part of a programme of reforms launched by the emir of this gas-rich state, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani.

Rights committee president Khalid al-Attiya told the seminar that there were still "certain" human rights problems in Qatar.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2004