Despite the paramount importance of the articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights issued in 1948, which represented a significant leap and became a tool for measuring how political entities respect human rights, numerous violations of human rights have continued and, in many cases, increased. Nevertheless, the situation could have been far worse without the Declaration, as even partial progress is better than total neglect.
In line with international standards, the Kuwaiti government approved the establishment of a civil society organization dedicated to human rights in 2005. I was one of the founders of this organization, which was then headed by the late Jassim Al-Qatami, before its light was extinguished, or nearly so. Under strong pressure from MPs and Salafist figures, the government approved the establishment of another human rights organization, making Kuwait the only country of its size with two opposing organizations claiming to defend the same human rights. Several years later, the government responded to international demands by establishing the “National Human Rights Bureau” as an independent body intended to serve as a link between civil society organizations, government agencies, and international organizations.
However, true independence was never achieved. Consequently, it did not come as a surprise when Kuwait received low rankings from international monitoring organizations. The government appointed the experienced ambassador Jassim Al-Mubaraki as head of the National Human Rights Bureau. Despite his strong leadership, the government succeeded in marginalizing the bureau’s role and undermining its independence.
It was striking that representatives of government agencies on the bureau’s board of directors often refrained from participating in its meetings. The bureau was further weakened by the frequent transfer of its oversight from one ministry to another with each new Cabinet formation. Most recently, it was placed under the supervision of the Ministry of Justice.
The Minister of Justice then issued a decree for dissolving the bureau and appointing a three-member committee, headed by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Justice, to carry out its duties. This move clearly contradicts the standards set by relevant international bodies. The government had previously established a Human Rights Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs . The difference between this department and the National Human Rights Bureau is that the bureau was created as an independent body in accordance with the Paris Principles on Human Rights, which Kuwait has ratified.
In contrast, the Human Rights Department is a government entity primarily concerned with representing the state in human rights conferences and defending its positions. It does not, to my knowledge, handle complaints from citizens or residents regarding grievances or violations. Sheikha Jawaher Ibrahim Al-Duaij Al- Sabah, as Deputy Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Human Rights, heads this department. Its responsibilities include providing opinions and advice on human rights matters referred to it, preparing the state’s human rights reports in accordance with international agreements, and submitting them to the relevant international monitoring bodies, in coordination with the competent authorities in the country. Despite the presence of multiple entities concerned with human rights, information about their activities is scarce.
Few people, I believe, are aware of how the Human Rights Department operates or how to easily contact it. A review of these institutions may be necessary, eliminating those that are redundant and granting the remaining bodies the attention and independence they deserve.
By Ahmad alsarraf
email: [email protected]
email: [email protected]
