To the dismay of human rights groups, Saudi Arabia was chosen in March to chair a UN commission that is supposed to promote gender equality and empower women around the world. On Wednesday, the UN general assembly is due to select 18 new members for three-year terms on the Human Rights Council beginning in January 2025. Human rights groups say there is little competition for places. Lina al-Hathloul, head of monitoring and advocacy at ALQST, which documents human rights in Saudi Arabia, said: “Saudi Arabia’s bid stands in stark contrast to the requirements of council membership. Saudi human rights defenders face reprisals for engaging with the UN, independent civil society is muzzled and UN experts are denied access to the country, where abuses continue to mount.

Source: The Guardian October 09, 2024 04:01 UTC