The Doha Declaration

Export agreement:

Export agreement coding (PDF)

Country/entity: Palestine
Region: Middle East and North Africa
Agreement name: The Doha Declaration
Date: 7 Feb 2012
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/intrastate conflict
Hamas-Fatah Conflict (2006 - )
In 2006, Palestine held its first round of local legislative elections wherein the long-standing incumbent, Fatah, was defeated by the Muslim Brotherhood affiliated Hamas. As the largest faction of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), Fatah’s leadership was put under pressure by the international community, who perceived Hamas as a possible threat to the Arab-Israeli peace process. As such, Fatah refused to join in the grand coalition with Hamas, and President Mahmoud Abbas began to increase his power through presidential decrees. Inside the Hamas strong-hold of Gaza, politicians on both sides were assassinated and within both Gaza and the West Bank, both sides were increasing the size and capabilities of their respective armed wings. The Presidential Guard of Mahmoud Abbas received funding, arms and training from the U.S and Israel during this time. Tensions rose further, as President Abbas called for new elections to be held in late-2006. These did not occur, and the date was shifted to mid-2007. Skirmishes broke out occasionally. On July 10, 2007, sustained clashes continued and escalated and by the end of July 15, Hamas had consolidated its military control over the Gaza Strip.

Since then several agreements have been signed between the two sides pledging two form a unity government including the 2007 Mecca Agreements; 2008 Yemeni Initiative; 2010 Cairo Agreement; April 2011 Cairo Agreement; 2012 Doha Agreement; May 2012 Cairo Accord and the 2014 Gaza Agreement.
Stage: Implementation/renegotiation
Conflict nature: Inter-group
Peace process: Palestine, Intra-Palestian agreements
Parties: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (the President of the Executive Committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organization) and Khaled Meshaal, the Political Bureau Chief of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas
Third parties: Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar
Description: Short agreement reaffirming Palestinian unity and the role of the PLO as the leader of the Palestinian people.

Agreement document: PS_120207_Fatah-Hamas Doha Agreement (English).pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: No specific mention.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): Page 1, President Mahmoud Abbas and Khaled Meshaal expressed their deep thanks and appreciation of the efforts exerted by His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamid Al Thani, the Crown Prince, toward the completion of the reconciliation agreement and ending the the state of division in the Palestinian arena, so as to reinforce Palestinian national unity for maintaining resolve and ending the Occupation, and for the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate rights, including the establishment of their independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: Page 1, President Mahmoud Abbas and Khaled Meshaal expressed their deep thanks and appreciation of the efforts exerted by His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamid Al Thani, the Crown Prince, toward the completion of the reconciliation agreement and ending the the state of division in the Palestinian arena, so as to reinforce Palestinian national unity for maintaining resolve and ending the Occupation, and for the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate rights, including the establishment of their independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): Governance→Political institutions (new or reformed)→General references
Page 1, First: Affirms the need to continue the steps of activating and developing the Palestinian Liberation Organization through the reformation of the Palestinian National Council simultaneously with the presidential and legislative elections.

Page 1, Second: Forming the Palestinian National Reconciliation Government of independent technocrats under President Mahmoud Abbas and which will be in charge of facilitating the presidential and legislative elections and starting the reconstruction of Gaza.
Elections: Page 1, First: Affirms the need to continue the steps of activating and developing the Palestinian Liberation Organization through the reformation of the Palestinian National Council simultaneously with the presidential and legislative elections.

Page 1, Second: Forming the Palestinian National Reconciliation Government of independent technocrats under President Mahmoud Abbas and which will be in charge of facilitating the presidential and legislative elections and starting the reconstruction of Gaza.

Page 1, Fourth: Asserting the implementation of what was agreed upon in Cairo to begin the work of the Central Election Committee of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem.
Electoral commission: Page 1, Fourth: Asserting the implementation of what was agreed upon in Cairo to begin the work of the Central Election Committee of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: Human rights and equality→Socio-economic rights→Work
Page 1, Third: Stresses the need to continue the works of the committees that were formed, namely the General Freedoms Committee, assigned to addressing the issues of detainees, institutions, and the freedom to travel, the return of the national staff to the Gaza Strip, the passports, and the freedom to work; and the Community Reconciliation Committee.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: Page 1, Third: Stresses the need to continue the works of the committees that were formed, namely the General Freedoms Committee, assigned to addressing the issues of detainees, institutions, and the freedom to travel, the return of the national staff to the Gaza Strip, the passports, and the freedom to work; and the Community Reconciliation Committee.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: No specific mention.
Ceasefire: No specific mention.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: No specific mention.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: No specific mention.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: Page 1, And with a spirit of responsibility, frankness, transparency, and insistence on the honest and accurate implementation of the reconciliation agreement and all its articles, the following has been agreed on:

Page 1, Third: Stresses the need to continue the works of the committees that were formed, namely the General Freedoms Committee, assigned to addressing the issues of detainees, institutions, and the freedom to travel, the return of the national staff to the Gaza Strip, the passports, and the freedom to work; and the Community Reconciliation Committee.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: No specific mention.
Enforcement mechanism: No specific mention.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: Al Akhbar English Archive
http://english.al-akhbar.com/sites/default/files/Doha%20Declaration%20%28Feb.%202012%29.pdf
Memo Middle East Monitor
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/3397-full-text-of-the-doha-declaration-signed-between-hamas-and-fatah

Doha Declaration (Feb. 2012)

Under the auspices of His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, and based on the reconciliation agreement that was reached in Cairo under the auspices of the Arab Republic of Egypt between the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (the President of the Executive Committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organization) and Khaled Meshaal, the Political Bureau Chief of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, a meeting was held between them in Doha, on February 5, 2012, where they reviewed the steps that have been taken so far so as to implement the reconciliation agreement’s mechanisms, and the obstacles that hindered its implementation;

and the need to overcome those obstacles was stressed.

And with a spirit of responsibility, frankness, transparency, and insistence on the honest

and accurate implementation of the reconciliation agreement and all its articles, the following has been agreed on:

First:

Affirms the need to continue the steps of activating and developing the Palestinian Liberation Organization through the reformation of the Palestinian National Council simultaneously with the presidential and legislative elections.

It was also agreed to hold the second meeting of the committee on revitalizing and developing the Palestinian Liberation Organization in Cairo on 18 February 2012.

Second:

Forming the Palestinian National Reconciliation Government of independent technocrats under President Mahmoud Abbas and which will be in charge of facilitating the presidential and legislative elections and starting the reconstruction of Gaza.

Third:

Stresses the need to continue the works of the committees that were formed, namely the General Freedoms Committee, assigned to addressing the issues of detainees, institutions, and the freedom to travel, the return of the national staff to the Gaza Strip, the passports, and the freedom to work;

and the Community Reconciliation Committee.

In this context, President Mahmoud Abbas informed the meeting’s attendees that 64 detainees were released within the framework of the accord on releasing all the detainees.

Fourth:

Asserting the implementation of what was agreed upon in Cairo to begin the work of the Central Election Committee of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and

Jerusalem.

President Mahmoud Abbas and Khaled Meshaal expressed their deep thanks and appreciation of the efforts exerted by His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamid Al Thani, the Crown Prince, toward the completion of the reconciliation agreement and ending the the state of division in the Palestinian arena, so as to reinforce Palestinian national unity for maintaining resolve and ending the Occupation, and for the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate rights, including the establishment of their independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.