NEW YORK: Saudi Arabia has stressed that the safety and security of diplomatic and consular missions are a matter of great concern for it, and stressed the need to work and develop effective measures to enhance the protection, security and safety of these missions, calling on states to take immediate effective measures to that end.
The concern was made known by the Kingdom in a speech delivered before the Sixth Legal Committee of the United Nations General Assembly. The committee was to discussing measures to enhance the protection, security and safety of diplomatic and consular missions and diplomatic and consular representatives. The speech was delivered by the first secretary of the Kingdom's permanent delegation to the United Nations, Mohammed Al-Subaie.
He said that the safety and security of diplomatic and consular missions is one of the foremost concerns of the Kingdom. The Kingdom was confronted with this issue in recent years and events witnessed in various parts of the world — riots and targeting individuals under diplomatic protection — are still fresh in our memory, he said.
"So we need to work on improving and developing effective measures to enhance the protection, security and safety of diplomatic and consular missions by taking “immediate effective measures,” he added.
Al-Subaie also said that in this regard, the Kingdom took the initiative to ensure the safety and security of diplomatic missions and of diplomatic representatives both in the capital Riyadh and in other cities.
Saudi Arabia follows strict security procedures and established a permanent committee, within the Ministry of Interior, tasked with ensuring the protection of diplomats. These security units are in charge of securing sites and diplomatic facilities, and ensuring the security and safety of all diplomatic representatives in the Kingdom.
Al-Subaie said: "Taking effective measures to enhance the protection, security and safety of diplomatic and consular missions, and diplomatic and consular representatives is one way to shift the international responsibility toward the state that breaches its obligations toward the citizens of other states and their nationals, and we should look at this as one way to ensure the rights of individuals in the international community and the protection of the interests of countries.
“In this regard, the Kingdom condemns the recent attacks against Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad, which constitute a flagrant violation of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations of 1961, the Vienna Convention on consular relations of 1963, and the international law which guarantees the inviolability of diplomatic missions, and imposes full immunity and respect for diplomatic missions accredited to any state in a clear and binding manner." The official called on all states that have not yet acceded to the conventions and international treaties related to the security, and protection and safety of diplomatic and consular missions and their representatives to make every effort to become members.
He also thanked the General Assembly and the International Law Committee for their efforts to dedicate special sessions to the issue of protection, security and safety of diplomatic and consular missions.
The concern was made known by the Kingdom in a speech delivered before the Sixth Legal Committee of the United Nations General Assembly. The committee was to discussing measures to enhance the protection, security and safety of diplomatic and consular missions and diplomatic and consular representatives. The speech was delivered by the first secretary of the Kingdom's permanent delegation to the United Nations, Mohammed Al-Subaie.
He said that the safety and security of diplomatic and consular missions is one of the foremost concerns of the Kingdom. The Kingdom was confronted with this issue in recent years and events witnessed in various parts of the world — riots and targeting individuals under diplomatic protection — are still fresh in our memory, he said.
"So we need to work on improving and developing effective measures to enhance the protection, security and safety of diplomatic and consular missions by taking “immediate effective measures,” he added.
Al-Subaie also said that in this regard, the Kingdom took the initiative to ensure the safety and security of diplomatic missions and of diplomatic representatives both in the capital Riyadh and in other cities.
Saudi Arabia follows strict security procedures and established a permanent committee, within the Ministry of Interior, tasked with ensuring the protection of diplomats. These security units are in charge of securing sites and diplomatic facilities, and ensuring the security and safety of all diplomatic representatives in the Kingdom.
Al-Subaie said: "Taking effective measures to enhance the protection, security and safety of diplomatic and consular missions, and diplomatic and consular representatives is one way to shift the international responsibility toward the state that breaches its obligations toward the citizens of other states and their nationals, and we should look at this as one way to ensure the rights of individuals in the international community and the protection of the interests of countries.
“In this regard, the Kingdom condemns the recent attacks against Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran and Mashhad, which constitute a flagrant violation of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations of 1961, the Vienna Convention on consular relations of 1963, and the international law which guarantees the inviolability of diplomatic missions, and imposes full immunity and respect for diplomatic missions accredited to any state in a clear and binding manner." The official called on all states that have not yet acceded to the conventions and international treaties related to the security, and protection and safety of diplomatic and consular missions and their representatives to make every effort to become members.
He also thanked the General Assembly and the International Law Committee for their efforts to dedicate special sessions to the issue of protection, security and safety of diplomatic and consular missions.
