Human rights abuses to top agenda at OIC conference in Jeddah

Human rights abuses to top agenda at OIC conference in Jeddah
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The five-day meeting will have a focus on human rights. (@OIC_IPHRC)
Human rights abuses to top agenda at OIC conference in Jeddah
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The five-day meeting will have a focus on human rights. (@OIC_IPHRC)
Human rights abuses to top agenda at OIC conference in Jeddah
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The five-day meeting will have a focus on human rights. (@OIC_IPHRC)
Human rights abuses to top agenda at OIC conference in Jeddah
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The five-day meeting will have a focus on human rights. (@OIC_IPHRC)
Human rights abuses to top agenda at OIC conference in Jeddah
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The five-day meeting will have a focus on human rights. (@OIC_IPHRC)
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Updated 22 May 2023

Human rights abuses to top agenda at OIC conference in Jeddah

Human rights abuses to top agenda at OIC conference in Jeddah
  • Delegates will concentrate their discussions around business-related human rights abuses, including in conflict zones
  • Workshop’s main objective will be to come up with policy recommendations on education for women in OIC member states

JEDDAH: Tackling human rights abuses was top of the agenda when Organization of Islamic Cooperation officials met in Jeddah on Sunday.

The 21st regular session of the OIC’s Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission opened in the Red Sea port city with a focus on identifying and dealing with challenges related to the issue.

The five-day meeting, being held under the title “Business and Human Rights: Normative Framework and Implementation for the OIC Countries,” was being attended by the organization’s secretary-general, Hissein Brahim Taha, IPHRC executive director, Noura bint Zaid Al-Rashoud, representatives of OIC member and observer states, and regional and international experts.

Delegates will concentrate their discussions around business-related human rights abuses, including in conflict zones, with the aim of creating conditions for responsible investment and business to help build sustainable peace.

Ongoing international, regional, and OIC initiatives will be reviewed along with the sharing of best practices on wider legal and policy developments to implement UN guidelines to prevent, address, and remedy human rights abuses in private businesses, media, and civil society.

Taha pointed out that the IPHRC operated impartially and objectively in accordance with relevant international laws.

He said: “The IPHRC contributions are appreciated by the OIC and the international human rights community.”

Al-Rashoud said other items on the conference agenda included children’s rights, and the right to development.

During the session, several closed meetings will be held on Thursday, plus a half-day workshop titled “Right to Education for Women: Challenges and Way Forward – Case of Afghanistan.”

Participants will be able to meet with experts and stakeholders to exchange views, identify challenges, share best practices, and recommend practical solutions to improve access to education for women and children.

The workshop’s main objective will be to come up with policy recommendations on education for women in OIC member states, particularly in Afghanistan.


Saudi Arabia attends UN-Habitat meetings in Kenya

Fahd bin Mohammed Al-Jubeir
Fahd bin Mohammed Al-Jubeir
Updated 20 sec ago

Saudi Arabia attends UN-Habitat meetings in Kenya

Fahd bin Mohammed Al-Jubeir
  • The UN-Habitat Assembly is the UN’s highest-level legislative body on sustainable urbanization and human settlements, comprising 193 member states

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Quality of Life Program concluded its participation in the second session of the assembly of the UN Human Settlements Programme, known as UN-Habitat, which was held in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi from June 5-9.

The program was represented in a delegation headed by Mayor of the Eastern Province Fahd bin Mohammed Al-Jubeir and the program’s CEO Khalid Al-Bakr, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Titled “A sustainable urban future through comprehensive and effective pluralism that achieves the goals of sustainable development,” the meeting featured discussions on promoting climate action and improving the urban environment, as well as the strategic plan of UN-Habitat.

The UN-Habitat Assembly is the UN’s highest-level legislative body on sustainable urbanization and human settlements, comprising 193 member states. The assembly convenes every four years and provides a platform for member states and stakeholders to share their views and adopt guidelines and recommendations to progress toward achieving sustainable urban development.

UN-Habitat aims to improve education and work toward a better urban future, as its mission is to promote the sustainable development of human settlements and provide adequate shelter for all.

 


Six local, international documentaries on show

Six local, international documentaries on show
Updated 50 min 45 sec ago

Six local, international documentaries on show

Six local, international documentaries on show
  • Red Sea Documentary Film Days is underway at Hayy Cinema in Jeddah
  • It is showcasing three Saudi films: “Yallah, Yallah, Beenah!,” “The King’s Poem,” and “Memories From The North”; and three international films

JEDDAH: The Red Sea Documentary Film Days is showcasing six documentaries from Saudi Arabia, France, Guinea, Syria, and Iraq, exploring themes of migration, camaraderie, and cinema archives at Hayy Cinema in Jeddah.
The event, which kicked off on Thursday and will run until June 25, is co-curated by the Red Sea International Film Festival Foundation and Art Jameel.
It is showcasing three Saudi films: “Yallah, Yallah, Beenah!,” “The King’s Poem,” and “Memories From The North”; and three international films: Iraq’s “My Lost Country,” Guinea/France’s “The Cemetery of Cinema,” and Syria’s “Becoming Iphigenia.”
In a press release, Mohammed Al-Turki, CEO of the Red Sea International Film Festival Foundation, described documentaries as an “integral” part of film culture that help raise awareness on important issues.
“We are excited to showcase this medium as documentaries become more popular than ever, winning many of world cinema’s top festival prizes,” he added.
In an exclusive interview with Arab News, Kaleem Aftab, director of international programming at the Red Sea International Film Festival Foundation, said that through the Red Sea Documentary Film Days, the foundation is “looking at partners and collaborators to show films that are a little bit more tricky and (that) Saudi audiences are not used to.
“We are more used to narrative dramas, not so used to having documentaries.”
The Red Sea International Film Festival Foundation and Hayy Jameel previously partnered for “Red Sea: Immersive at Hayy Jameel,” a program of virtual reality experiences organized as part of the inaugural Red Sea International Film Festival back in 2021.
Speaking of the collaboration with Art Jameel, an organization that supports artists and creative communities, Aftab said that Hayy Jameel is a perfect partner.
“They have a wonderful location, a great cinema, and we have similar sensibilities and a desire to engage with the public in Jeddah to further arts and to create debate,” he said.
“Yallah, Yallah, Beenah!,” “Becoming Iphigenia,” and “The Cemetery of Cinema” (which also played at the Berlin Film Festival), premiered in the Middle East and North Africa region for the first time during the event’s opening weekend.
“We are very happy because all of these films received support from the (foundation),” Aftab said, adding that the screenings provide an opportunity for the public to “engage with not just cinema or documentaries, but with ideas.”
Saudi director Mohammed Hammad of “Yallah, Yallah, Beenah!” said: “The film is a dedication to the city of Jeddah, which I remember as a kid and pre-teen.”
The Red Sea Documentary Film Days is accompanied by an extended public program that includes talks and workshops for all ages.
To learn more about the program, documentaries or to book tickets, visit: https://www.hayycinema.org/


Students join handicrafts week to create, promote traditional crafts

Students join handicrafts week to create, promote traditional crafts
Updated 10 June 2023

Students join handicrafts week to create, promote traditional crafts

Students join handicrafts week to create, promote traditional crafts
  • Royal Institute of Traditional Arts stages special carving workshops
  • Saudi International Handicrafts Week runs until Monday

RIYADH: The Royal Institute of Traditional Arts staged several workshops this week as part of the activities of Saudi International Handicrafts Week.
The events focused on the carving of wood, gypsum and clay and sought to highlight and preserve some of the Kingdom’s traditional arts.
The wood carving workshop challenged participants to produce pieces inspired by the traditional doors found in different parts of the country, each of which is made from a particular type of wood, such as tamarisk, teak or juniper.
The gypsum carving event sought to produce pieces influenced by the historic houses of Jeddah, while the clay workshop aimed to create works inspired by the wall paintings of Al-Qatt Al-Asiri.
Al-Qatt Al-Asiri is an art form practiced exclusively by women and deeply rooted in the identity of the Kingdom’s southern region. It can be seen decorating the interior walls of guest rooms in Asiri homes.
In 2017, UNESCO added Al-Qatt Al-Asiri to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Students from the institute also sold traditional fashion items, jewelry, wooden crafts and Al-Qatt Al-Asiri products at the event.
The Saudi International Handicrafts Week is organized by the Heritage Authority and runs until Monday at the Riyadh Front.


Kaaba kiswa raised in preparation for Hajj

Kaaba kiswa raised in preparation for Hajj
Updated 10 June 2023

Kaaba kiswa raised in preparation for Hajj

Kaaba kiswa raised in preparation for Hajj
  • Every year, on the ninth day of the Islamic month of Dul Hijjah, the black silk cloth is removed and a new kiswa is draped in its place

RIYADH: In keeping with tradition, the lower part of the kiswa — the black cloth covering the Kaaba in Makkah — has been raised about three meters and the area beneath has been covered with white cotton fabric, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.

The same procedure is repeated annually before Hajj season in order to protect the kiswa, as some pilgrims touch it when circling the Kaaba.

Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Sudais, president of the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, was present when the kiswa was raised.

Sultan Al-Qurashi, assistant to the president general for the affairs of the King Abdulaziz Complex for Holy Kaaba Kiswa, exhibitions, engineering, technical, and operational affairs, said that “raising the lower part of the kiswa serves to preserve its cleanliness and (integrity) and preventing tampering.” He added that the kiswa is also raised to prevent some pilgrims’ practices “based on false beliefs.”

Every year, on the ninth day of the Islamic month of Dul Hijjah, the black silk cloth is removed and a new kiswa is draped in its place.


Riyadh to host international project management forum

Riyadh to host international project management forum
Updated 10 June 2023

Riyadh to host international project management forum

Riyadh to host international project management forum
  • The two-day forum’s title is “Project Management Ecosystem: The Journey to Excellence” is an initiative intended to support sustainable development in Saudi Arabia
  • The event will also include the announcement of the winners of the Global Project Excellence Awards

RIYADH: The Project Management Institute will host the second Global Project Management Forum in Riyadh on June 12.
The two-day forum’s title is “Project Management Ecosystem: The Journey to Excellence” and, according to a press release, is an initiative intended to support sustainable development in Saudi Arabia.
Participants include Areej Naqshbandi, senior director at the Public Investment Fund, and Park Joon-yong, South Korean ambassador to Saudi Arabia, who is this year’s guest of honor.
Besides a number of workshops and talks, the event will also include the announcement of the winners of the Global Project Excellence Awards.
Badr M. Burshaid, president of the PMI’s Saudi chapter, said in a statement: “The forum provides an opportunity for institutions and companies to showcase their services, tools, and technologies that support and empower the project ecosystem, as well as to talk about the best practices and the latest technology and research in the field of project management.”
He added that the forum is aligned with Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to boost economic growth and diversity through non-oil sectors in the Kingdom.
“The forum will also explore giga-projects from a different perspective in the ecosystem, such as governance, value-chain economics, and sustainable social impact,” Burshaid said.