The United Nations Human Rights Council opened its 53rd session, on June 19, 2023, in Geneva. High Commissioner Volker Türk gave a global update within the framework of the second item talks highlighting cooperation between Member States and the international system of human rights bodies, which are the cornerstone of the United Nations.
Turk's speech comes in light of the relentless attempts, on which Saudi Arabia is spending billions, to improve its image in front of the world, using the United Nations' human rights mechanisms, as it has deliberately appointed women in international missions and is now responding to some reports and complaints with misleading and unrealistic information.
Türk stressed that weak cooperation with these mechanisms leaves human rights aside, and selective cooperation weakens them, and the number of relevant international mechanisms. He explained that the UPR categorically affirms that human rights scrutiny does not constitute a violation of sovereignty but is a legitimate matter of international concern and that the involvement of civil society creates an increased awareness of human rights issues. He urged countries to intensify their efforts to implement the resulting recommendations.
It is expected that the Universal Periodic Review session for Saudi Arabia will be held at the end of this year, in light of its continued ignoring of hundreds of recommendations that it accepted during the previous session, and in light of the continued stifling of civil society, which prevents any effective participation in the session from within.
Türk pointed out the importance of the role of the United Nations Special Rapporteurs, and the positive cooperation of countries with them, as they make an average of 60 to 80 country visits per year. The High Commissioner stated that Saudi Arabia, along with 18 other countries, has not accepted any visits during the past five years, despite receiving five or more requests, including permanent requests.
Türk emphasized that regular reporting to the treaty body is an essential part of every country's obligations, and noted that the Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most ratified treaty in the world.
Although Saudi Arabia has ratified several international conventions, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention against Torture, it still has reservations about ratifying its optional protocols, while violating these conventions in various ways.
The High Commissioner has considered that attacks on people for cooperating with the UN are a pernicious form of non-cooperation that could have a chilling effect across civic space. He was deeply concerned about the stifling of civil society in many countries.
The annual report of the High Commissioner for Reprisals mentioned Saudi violations in this context in several reports, while the information of the European Saudi Organization confirms that violations against collaborators with non-governmental organizations and with the United Nations are much higher.
The European Saudi Organization for Human Rights believes that the issue highlighted by the High Commissioner during the opening of the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council greatly affects Saudi practices. In addition to years of ignoring and underestimating international opinions and reports that result from human rights mechanisms, it is currently using these mechanisms to promote its image and obscure its ongoing violations.