Saudi Arabia stresses Bahrain's human rights efforts

Geneva, Sep. 14 (BNA): Saudi Arabia affirmed its unwavering stance that promoting human rights worldwide does not mean imposing principles and values that contravene Islamic precepts. The kingdom's representative to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva Faisal Tarad stressed in a speech before the UN Human Rights Council today that a sovereign state is the first responsible for boosting human rights and that the High Commissioner for Human Rights Office's role is to help assuming this responsibility by building personal capabilities while respecting full sovereignty of those countries. The Saudi official pointed out that in this respect Saudi Arabia had signed a memo for technical cooperation and building capabilities with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and by the end of 2016 the kingdom would receive a high profile delegation from the High Commission for Human Rights to get updated on the efforts and procedures taken by Saudi Arabia to honour its international obligations in protecting human rights. Concerning the High Commissioner for Human Rights' comments on the situation in Palestine, Syria and Bahrain, Tarad stressed that the Palestinian people's suffering from the Israeli occupation and its brutal aggression for more than six decades requires strong condemnation in the High Commissioner's report and that the recommendations have to be compatible with the Palestinian people's suffering. The Saudi official reiterated the kingdom's call on the international community to assume its duty towards the Palestinian people, end the Israeli occupation and help establish an independent Palestinian state with its capital Al Quds. Regarding Syria, Tarad asserted Saudi Arabia's similar stance to the High Commissioner's and its strong condemnation of the Syrian regime whose crimes against the Syrian people were documented by the international probe committee including the killing of about 400,000 people and displacing 12 million people. He also called on all foreign powers supporting the regime to condemn it for committing those crimes. As for Bahrain, Tarad voiced regret of Saudi Arabia over the High Commissioner's ignorance of the real efforts made by the Bahraini government to protect human rights within the framework of its sovereign right to defend its security and stability and confront foreign interference. He urged constructive dialogue with the Bahraini authorities to promote human rights and prevent sending a wrong message to those having no concern for Bahrain's security and stability.