JEDDAH, 27 March 2008 — A local human rights activist has called on Saudi officials to hold the Kingdom’s first conference for human rights activists to network and share their experiences.

Ibrahim Al-Miqitib, an independent Saudi human rights activist who is now with the government-run Human Rights Commission (HRC), said that the conference would serve as a platform for activists from across the Kingdom to come together.

“I’m sure there are thousands of activists who are silently working individually or in small groups. Most of them don’t know each other,” said Al-Miqitib, adding that Saudi activists do not work collectively due to poor communication.

“Building a network and exchanging experiences is what counts the most,” he said, adding that although some human rights concerns are peculiar to certain regions, most issues are common to all Saudis, regardless of where they are from.

Al-Miqitib suggested that the holding of the conference should be announced in the media and that all should be invited to attend, as “no one in the country has an accurate list of all activists.”

He added that the invitation must reach “real activists,” who truly care for human rights and that this “frankly does not apply to HRC members or the National Society of Human Rights members.”

He said that HRC President Turki Al-Sudairi previously assured Saudis that the commission was not established to merely be “another governmental organization.”

“HRC officials also have the right to know that we have beautiful assets in the Kingdom,” he said, adding that his proposal has been well-received by Al-Sudairi, who was appointed the commission’s president in October 2005 with the rank of a minister and reporting directly to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.

“Al-Sudairi commented on my idea of the conference describing it as positive,” he said, adding, “I’m going to lobby about it in every possible way. I’m sure it will be a landmark event in our history. I have no doubt in that.”

Since non-governmental organizations (NGOs) — not including charities — are not permitted to operate in the Kingdom, activists do not have a proper venue to challenge human rights issues. Nevertheless, last December the Shoura Council approved a first draft bill permitting the establishment of NGOs. The bill was then submitted to the Cabinet for final approval.