JEDDAH, 27 November 2005 — Saudi Arabia will introduce a new strategy in schools by the beginning of 2007 in order to increase awareness of human rights. Education Minister Dr. Abdullah Bin-Obaid has instructed officials to produce the strategy and conduct training programs in how it is to be implemented.
According to a report in Al-Madinah Arabic daily, the strategy will be prepared in light of the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam, the international working plan for educating on human rights and the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014).
The Education Ministry will also set up a committee of experts which will be responsible for educating students about human rights, the Arabic daily said. A department in the ministry has been instructed to coordinate with others to implement the strategy and conduct workshops related to it.
The new move is part of the government’s efforts to promote and protect human rights in the country. The Kingdom already has two recognized human rights groups — the non-governmental National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) and the Human Rights Commission, which is a government organization.
The Human Rights Commission, which was established on Sept. 12, 2005, is under the direct supervision of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. It was established to “protect human rights and create awareness about them ... in keeping with the provisions of Islamic law.”
The commission has been given wide powers — access to prisons and detention centers at any time and the right to submit reports to the king without obtaining any official permission. Government sectors must provide statistics and information requested by the body.
The formation of the two bodies should play a big role in creating awareness on human rights. “We are going to cooperate, and assist each other, in everything regarding human rights,” said Suhaila Hammad, a senior member of NSHR.
