The Legitimacy of Gulf Monarchies in the International Human Rights Context: The Cases of Oman and Qatar

Abstract

This comparative study examines the legitimation strategies employed by Gulf monarchies, particularly Oman and Qatar, by investigating how they use human rights tools and institutions to bolster their internal and international claims of legitimacy. It does so by analysing National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) through procedural legitimacy, and impact of public accountability, acculturation, and involvement of civil society. The research also assesses these two countries’ international engagement and compliance with human rights mechanisms of Universal Periodic Review (UPR), international human rights treaties and visits and recommendations by Special Rapporteurs. It relies on primary material obtained from semi-structured personal interviews with government officials, lawyers, activists, and social workers, alongside a wide range of primary documentation including United Nations reports, government publications and submissions, internal regulations, and reports from international NGOs. Due to the sensitivity of the topic, this work contributes to bridge the gap in existing literature on authoritarian politics and the international human rights context. The study suggests the compliance with international norms does not automatically confer legitimacy highlighting the complex interplay between domestic governance and international expectation. The findings underscore the significant impact of international human rights mechanisms and institutions on the governance strategies of Oman and Qatar. This influence has led to a disconnect between local laws in these countries and their international commitments, particularly in addressing issues such as human trafficking and gender equality. This disconnect is a key factor in the strategy of decoupling local laws from international obligations. The human rights performance of Gulf monarchies is shaped by the geopolitical and economic pressures they face. Oman and Qatar have managed this by balancing the establishment of legitimacy with compliance with international human rights norms through controlled legal frameworks and accountability, limited civil society participation, regulated international engagement and compliance, and restricted transparency and information access.