While this piece from Saudi Gazette may spend a little too much effort in patting the Saudi government on its back, it does correctly relay that Saudi Arabia has made some noteworthy steps in improving the human rights situation in the Kingdom. There is more press freedom. The National Dialogues seem to be working to reduce intolerance. There are widespread efforts to reduce religious extremism, both in schools and mosques. The government has called for and acted upon its desire for religious dialogue. There were the first country-wide elections for municipal councils. Attention is being paid to the plight of foreign workers. There is a massive legal reform project underway. These are advances and they should be recognized as such.

The problem is that there’s still an enormous distance between where the Saudis are and where the rest of the world would like them to be. The changes King Abdullah has introduced are real and they are likely to continue, but it will take continued government efforts, supported by the Saudi media. This is a project that will be years in completion, but it has been started.

Efforts in human rights exemplary, says HRC

RIYADH – The government of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has paid great attention to the issue of human rights and to the protection of these rights at the local and international levels while taking into consideration the special characteristics of the society and respecting the teachings of religion.

The Kingdom’s efforts and contributions in protecting human rights have been widely praised by the concerned international organizations and institutions, which led to the Kingdom becoming a member of the first UN Human Rights Council in 2006.

The report of the Human Rights Commission in the Kingdom, which was given to Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of World Human Rights Day, reviewed some of the accomplishments and efforts of the government in the field of human rights.
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