Saudi Arabia will chair a UN commission on the advancement of women. Human rights organizations were outraged: the ultra-conservative country constantly violates women’s rights, said Amnesty International.
Women in Saudi Arabia are only allowed to make their own decisions to a limited extent. Nevertheless, the country is set to take over the chairmanship of the UN Commission for the Advancement of Women in the future. The 45 member countries of the “United Nations Commission on the Status of Women” (CSW) appointed the Saudi ambassador Abdulasis Alwasil in New York as chairman of the next session. The mandate lasts one year.
The human rights organization Amnesty International was outraged: “This is a shock to us, although not a surprise,” said Natalie Wenger, who is responsible for Saudi Arabia at Amnesty Switzerland, among other things. Saudi Arabia is running an image campaign with a lot of money to present itself as a modern country. “But these are gestures that have no substance.” Women’s rights are constantly violated there.
Even before the decision on the chairmanship, Sherine Tadros from Amnesty International had made critical comments: “Saudi Arabia’s miserable record when it comes to protecting and promoting the rights of women highlights the huge gap between the reality of life Women and Girls in Saudi Arabia and the Commission’s Aspirations.”
Women’s rights are constantly violated
Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy in which the royal family rules with an ultra-conservative interpretation of Islam. It is ranked 132nd out of 146 countries in the World Economic Forum Foundation (WEF) 2023 report on gender equality.
Drastic restrictions apply to women, for example strict clothing regulations. When traveling or getting married, women need the permission of a male guardian. In 2018, Saudi Arabia introduced easing measures, including that women are now allowed to drive there.
Nevertheless, from the perspective of human rights activists, the situation remains critical: Amnesty has just mentioned in a report the case of a mother of two children who advocated for women’s rights on Platform X during her doctoral thesis and was therefore sentenced to 27 years in prison. Countries that take on such chairs in UN commissions must serve as role models, said Wenger. “That’s why we see this presidency as tragic.”
No contradiction from Western Europe
At the commission meeting, the current chairman from the Philippines presented the Saudi ambassador as the only candidate. “May I assume that the Commission wishes to elect His Excellency Abdulaziz Alwasil of Saudi Arabia by acclamation as Chairman of the Commission at its 69th session?” he asked. “I don’t hear any objections. So it’s decided.” The decision was met with brief applause.
There was also no objection from the “Western Europe and other countries” group. It is currently represented there by Austria, Israel, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey.