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19 January 2001
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CRC
26th session
19 January 2001
Morning
Islam Accords Children an Honorable Place, Delegation Says
The Committee on the Rights of the Child started this morning its consideration of an initial report of Saudi Arabia on how that country's children are enjoying the rights provided for under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Introducing the report, Abdulwahab Abdulsalam Attar, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said his country embraced Islam as a creed and a way of life in which children were accorded an honourable place. He said his Government gives the highest priority to sustaining a high level of welfare, education and health services for children.
Mr. Attar further said that the Government of Saudi Arabia had deployed resources to develop programmes and projects aimed at increasing the privileges provided for children. In addition, education and health provisions were aimed at preparing the child to lead an honourable life.
Discussion focused on the main subjects of general measures of implementation of the Convention, definition of the child, general principles, and civil rights and freedoms.
In the course of the discussion, Committee Experts said, among other things, that the Saudi delegation did not include any women despite the Government's advocation for equality between women and men; there were outstanding, educated women in Saudi Arabia who could have been part of the delegation. The Experts also said that women were discriminated against in Saudi Arabia, contrary to the Islamic Shari'a which protected the rights of women; Saudi women were not allowed to drive cars; and they were not permitted to travel abroad alone.
Also part of the ten-member delegation of Saudi Arabia are Talal ben Hussein Bayari, Advisor to the Minster of Health; Zeid ben Abdullah Al-Maslat, Secretary-General of Special Education, Ministry of Education; Adnan ben Faydallah Turkistany, Saudi Medical Attache in Germany; Ibraheem ben Abdullah Al-Nasser, Legal Advisor, Ministry of Justice; and Issa ben Abdelaziz Al-Shamekh, Human Rights Advisor in the Ministry of Interior and Member of the Planning Board of the Childhood Committee.
Also, Mohammed ben Abdullah Al-Harbi, Director of the Department of Alternative Care, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs; Saleh ben Moussa Al Dhubaiban, Director General of Educational Supervision, Ministry of Education; Mohammed ben Al-Dabyan, Secretary General of the Saudi National Committee for Child Care, Ministry of Education; and Abdelrahman ben Ibraheem Al-Rassi, Human Rights Expert, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
As one of the 191 States parties to the Convention, Saudi Arabia must submit periodic reports to the Committee on how that country was complying with the terms of the treaty.
The Committee will continue its consideration of the report of Saudi Arabia when it reconvenes at 3 p.m. this afternoon.
Report of Saudi Arabia
The initial report of Saudi Arabia (document CRC/C/61/Add.2) enumerates the administrative and legislative measures undertaken by the Government to comply with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It says the State shows considerable concern for child welfare, and also Islam advocates for the care of the family, which constitutes the basic social unit that provides appropriate means conducive to a decent life and full realization of its primordial role in nurturing and preparing children for life. The State has mobilized all efforts to provide opportunities for all children to enjoy their fundamental rights and has provided educational services to guarantee the appropriate upbringing and development of the child within the family and community environment.
The report notes that Saudi Arabia has made consistent progress in all social, economic, political, cultural and administrative fields, in a balanced manner in keeping with the teachings of Islam and the requirements of modern development. Islam makes the world of a child a beautiful world, full of love, happiness and joy. Saudi Arabia has derived its regulations concerning child welfare from the divine teachings of Islam which are in harmony with, and even surpass, the provisions of the Convention.
According to the report, Saudi society, which it says is based on justice and equality, strongly rejects all forms of discrimination. It never discriminates between the strong and the weak, man, woman or child. All of them enjoy the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the regulations, based on Islamic law, which are applicable in the country without discrimination of any kind, irrespective of their colour, sex, ethnic origin, age or religion.
Saudi Arabia has continued, among other things, to provide comprehensive family health care through maternal and child health programmes; to implement the child immunization programmes and combat infectious diseases; to monitor the growth and development of children through proper child care programmes; to strengthen family ties so as to protect children from arbitrary punishment; and to offer material and moral aid to needy families in order to meet the essential requirements for their children's welfare. It also guarantees the right of the child to life, survival and development; and it prohibits the killing of any human being in general and of children in particular.
The report further notes that the employment of children under 13 years of age was prohibited and restricts the working hours of children to six hours per day; and children are not allowed to work for more than five consecutive hours, at night or in heavy or hazardous work. Saudi laws prohibit the abduction or sale of, or trafficking in, children and takes appropriate measures to protect the child from all forms of exploitation and assault. Any person who abducts, traffics in or abuses children is prosecuted in accordance with the Islamic law.
Presentation of Report
ABDULWAHAB ABDULSALAM ATTAR, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said his country embraced Islam as a creed and a way of life in which children were accorded an honourable place. The Government had also given highest priority to sustaining a high level of welfare, education and health services to children. The Government had deployed resources to develop programmes and projects aimed at increasing the privileges provided to children. In addition, education and health provisions were aimed at preparing the child to lead an honourable life.
The National Committee for the Rights of the Child had been restructured in 1997 to better serve the cause of children, Mr. Attar said. The Committee was assisted by a number of agencies, including non-governmental organizations, to attain its objectives in promoting the best interest of the child. It gathered information and shaped Government policies concerning the rights of the child, thus avoiding duplication by other Government agencies. The National Committee further coordinated and cooperated with international organizations, including the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), in activities concerning child rights.
Mr. Attar said that the implementation of the 5-year plan, which was started in the 1970s, had been productive in the field of education and health. The plan was designed within the context of the Islamic Shari'a which had boosted the importance of the family in the healthy upbringing of children. In addition, an open-door policy had been adopted with the 'Mejlis' -- court of the King -- which was open to all citizens and to anyone who might have a complaint or a grievance. Any person had the right to communicate with public authorities regarding any matter of concern to him or her.
A number of workshops had been held to train teachers within the context of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in order to increase their knowledge on the issue, Mr. Attar went on to say.
National television and radio also broadcast programmes designed for children and families concerning the promotion and protection of the rights of children. Children themselves were made to participate in programmes regarding their rights. In addition, awareness-raising programmes had also been launched on the responsibilities of families and the society with regard to children.
Mr. Attar continued to say that schools and literary clubs had played an important role in the implementation of the provisions of the Convention; and Saudi Arabia had been generous in allocating an adequate budget to such activities. In addition, cultural activities for children were carried out by the children themselves with the participation of charitable associations which were supported by the State.
Abortion was prohibited in Saudi Arabia unless the health of the mother was threatened, Mr. Attar said. The Government's policy was to protect the dignity of the child before and after birth.
Saudi Arabia was against any form of torture perpetrated against children, the delegation said. In addition, it had ratified the International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions Nos. 138 and 182, on Minimum Age for Admission to Employment and the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Wort Forms of Child Labour, respectively.
Discussion
An Expert expressed regret that the Saudi delegation did not include any women despite the Government's advocation for equality between women and men. There were outstanding, educated women in Saudi Arabia who could have been part of the delegation. The Expert further said that women were discriminated against in Saudi Arabia contrary to the Islamic Shari'a which protected their rights. Saudi women were not allowed to drive cars; and they were not permitted to travel abroad alone.
The basic law of Saudi Arabia affirmed the equal treatment of persons, an Expert said. How did the Government deal with the children of so many expatriates working and living in the country? Who were members of the Supreme Council and the Planning Committee? Was there an independent body to monitor the implementation of the Convention?
Other Committee members also queried the delegation on such issues as the practice of polygamy; dissemination of the Convention and the report; age of marriage; juvenile justice; freedom of women to travel; definition of the child; and the death penalty, among other things.
An Expert asked how Saudi Arabia was implementing the provisions of the Convention if it had made reservations with respect to all such articles as were in conflict with the provisions of Islamic law.
Responding to questions raised by Committee members, the delegation said that women had the same rights as men in travelling and admission to hospitals. However, there were rules and procedures in Saudi Arabia regulating some aspects, including the implementation of the Convention to which some reservations were already entered. All Government agencies had the obligations to implement all provisions of conventions adhered to by the State, the delegation said.
The Convention was a system for Saudi Arabia and it was part of children's lives, the delegation said. Children had the right to express their points of view and could participate in discussions concerning their lives. They also took part in programmes regarding their social problems, and could review the positive and negative aspects of any programme intended for their well-being.
The Supreme Council for Children and the Planning Commission were established with the view to implementing and strengthening the rights of the child, the delegation said. The Planning Commission was composed of experts in child rights, and agencies such as UNICEF were invited to participate in its work. It also supervised the implementation of the Convention and monitored its dissemination.
Primary health care was guaranteed to all who needed treatment, the delegation said. Anyone who entered Saudi Arabia for work enjoyed the same privileges provided to citizens of the State.
Different ages were fixed to define the child, the delegation said; under 7 years of age, a child had no responsibility or duty of any kind; between 10 and 15 years of age, the responsibility of the child was increased; from 7 to 10 years, the child was considered a rational being and would start to learn and be trained in religious observances; from 15 to 18 years of age, the child was answerable to any wrongdoing; and a juvenile was defined, in the penal laws set forth in the Detention and Juvenile Homes Statues of 1975, as every human being below the age of 18 years. The regulations stipulated that a juvenile could not be detained in a public prison but should be delivered to surveillance centres.
The reservations expressed on some of the articles of the Convention were not on the interpretation and not on the essence, the delegation said. Most of the provisions were implemented and they were compatible with Islamic law.
Some of the practices affecting children and women had their roots in customs and not necessarily in the Islamic Shari'a, the delegation said; and such practices emanating from tradition needed improvement.
Polygamy was an exception to protect the unity of a family; it was not an obligation imposed on men to have more wives, the delegation said. However, it was better for a woman to be a wife than a mistress; and as a wife, her rights were respected by the Islamic Shari'a, which regulated the family code. The practice of polygamy had no influence on the upbringing and education of the child, nor did it affect the health of the child.
* *** *
26th session
19 January 2001
Morning
Islam Accords Children an Honorable Place, Delegation Says
The Committee on the Rights of the Child started this morning its consideration of an initial report of Saudi Arabia on how that country's children are enjoying the rights provided for under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Introducing the report, Abdulwahab Abdulsalam Attar, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said his country embraced Islam as a creed and a way of life in which children were accorded an honourable place. He said his Government gives the highest priority to sustaining a high level of welfare, education and health services for children.
Mr. Attar further said that the Government of Saudi Arabia had deployed resources to develop programmes and projects aimed at increasing the privileges provided for children. In addition, education and health provisions were aimed at preparing the child to lead an honourable life.
Discussion focused on the main subjects of general measures of implementation of the Convention, definition of the child, general principles, and civil rights and freedoms.
In the course of the discussion, Committee Experts said, among other things, that the Saudi delegation did not include any women despite the Government's advocation for equality between women and men; there were outstanding, educated women in Saudi Arabia who could have been part of the delegation. The Experts also said that women were discriminated against in Saudi Arabia, contrary to the Islamic Shari'a which protected the rights of women; Saudi women were not allowed to drive cars; and they were not permitted to travel abroad alone.
Also part of the ten-member delegation of Saudi Arabia are Talal ben Hussein Bayari, Advisor to the Minster of Health; Zeid ben Abdullah Al-Maslat, Secretary-General of Special Education, Ministry of Education; Adnan ben Faydallah Turkistany, Saudi Medical Attache in Germany; Ibraheem ben Abdullah Al-Nasser, Legal Advisor, Ministry of Justice; and Issa ben Abdelaziz Al-Shamekh, Human Rights Advisor in the Ministry of Interior and Member of the Planning Board of the Childhood Committee.
Also, Mohammed ben Abdullah Al-Harbi, Director of the Department of Alternative Care, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs; Saleh ben Moussa Al Dhubaiban, Director General of Educational Supervision, Ministry of Education; Mohammed ben Al-Dabyan, Secretary General of the Saudi National Committee for Child Care, Ministry of Education; and Abdelrahman ben Ibraheem Al-Rassi, Human Rights Expert, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
As one of the 191 States parties to the Convention, Saudi Arabia must submit periodic reports to the Committee on how that country was complying with the terms of the treaty.
The Committee will continue its consideration of the report of Saudi Arabia when it reconvenes at 3 p.m. this afternoon.
Report of Saudi Arabia
The initial report of Saudi Arabia (document CRC/C/61/Add.2) enumerates the administrative and legislative measures undertaken by the Government to comply with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It says the State shows considerable concern for child welfare, and also Islam advocates for the care of the family, which constitutes the basic social unit that provides appropriate means conducive to a decent life and full realization of its primordial role in nurturing and preparing children for life. The State has mobilized all efforts to provide opportunities for all children to enjoy their fundamental rights and has provided educational services to guarantee the appropriate upbringing and development of the child within the family and community environment.
The report notes that Saudi Arabia has made consistent progress in all social, economic, political, cultural and administrative fields, in a balanced manner in keeping with the teachings of Islam and the requirements of modern development. Islam makes the world of a child a beautiful world, full of love, happiness and joy. Saudi Arabia has derived its regulations concerning child welfare from the divine teachings of Islam which are in harmony with, and even surpass, the provisions of the Convention.
According to the report, Saudi society, which it says is based on justice and equality, strongly rejects all forms of discrimination. It never discriminates between the strong and the weak, man, woman or child. All of them enjoy the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the regulations, based on Islamic law, which are applicable in the country without discrimination of any kind, irrespective of their colour, sex, ethnic origin, age or religion.
Saudi Arabia has continued, among other things, to provide comprehensive family health care through maternal and child health programmes; to implement the child immunization programmes and combat infectious diseases; to monitor the growth and development of children through proper child care programmes; to strengthen family ties so as to protect children from arbitrary punishment; and to offer material and moral aid to needy families in order to meet the essential requirements for their children's welfare. It also guarantees the right of the child to life, survival and development; and it prohibits the killing of any human being in general and of children in particular.
The report further notes that the employment of children under 13 years of age was prohibited and restricts the working hours of children to six hours per day; and children are not allowed to work for more than five consecutive hours, at night or in heavy or hazardous work. Saudi laws prohibit the abduction or sale of, or trafficking in, children and takes appropriate measures to protect the child from all forms of exploitation and assault. Any person who abducts, traffics in or abuses children is prosecuted in accordance with the Islamic law.
Presentation of Report
ABDULWAHAB ABDULSALAM ATTAR, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said his country embraced Islam as a creed and a way of life in which children were accorded an honourable place. The Government had also given highest priority to sustaining a high level of welfare, education and health services to children. The Government had deployed resources to develop programmes and projects aimed at increasing the privileges provided to children. In addition, education and health provisions were aimed at preparing the child to lead an honourable life.
The National Committee for the Rights of the Child had been restructured in 1997 to better serve the cause of children, Mr. Attar said. The Committee was assisted by a number of agencies, including non-governmental organizations, to attain its objectives in promoting the best interest of the child. It gathered information and shaped Government policies concerning the rights of the child, thus avoiding duplication by other Government agencies. The National Committee further coordinated and cooperated with international organizations, including the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), in activities concerning child rights.
Mr. Attar said that the implementation of the 5-year plan, which was started in the 1970s, had been productive in the field of education and health. The plan was designed within the context of the Islamic Shari'a which had boosted the importance of the family in the healthy upbringing of children. In addition, an open-door policy had been adopted with the 'Mejlis' -- court of the King -- which was open to all citizens and to anyone who might have a complaint or a grievance. Any person had the right to communicate with public authorities regarding any matter of concern to him or her.
A number of workshops had been held to train teachers within the context of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in order to increase their knowledge on the issue, Mr. Attar went on to say.
National television and radio also broadcast programmes designed for children and families concerning the promotion and protection of the rights of children. Children themselves were made to participate in programmes regarding their rights. In addition, awareness-raising programmes had also been launched on the responsibilities of families and the society with regard to children.
Mr. Attar continued to say that schools and literary clubs had played an important role in the implementation of the provisions of the Convention; and Saudi Arabia had been generous in allocating an adequate budget to such activities. In addition, cultural activities for children were carried out by the children themselves with the participation of charitable associations which were supported by the State.
Abortion was prohibited in Saudi Arabia unless the health of the mother was threatened, Mr. Attar said. The Government's policy was to protect the dignity of the child before and after birth.
Saudi Arabia was against any form of torture perpetrated against children, the delegation said. In addition, it had ratified the International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions Nos. 138 and 182, on Minimum Age for Admission to Employment and the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Wort Forms of Child Labour, respectively.
Discussion
An Expert expressed regret that the Saudi delegation did not include any women despite the Government's advocation for equality between women and men. There were outstanding, educated women in Saudi Arabia who could have been part of the delegation. The Expert further said that women were discriminated against in Saudi Arabia contrary to the Islamic Shari'a which protected their rights. Saudi women were not allowed to drive cars; and they were not permitted to travel abroad alone.
The basic law of Saudi Arabia affirmed the equal treatment of persons, an Expert said. How did the Government deal with the children of so many expatriates working and living in the country? Who were members of the Supreme Council and the Planning Committee? Was there an independent body to monitor the implementation of the Convention?
Other Committee members also queried the delegation on such issues as the practice of polygamy; dissemination of the Convention and the report; age of marriage; juvenile justice; freedom of women to travel; definition of the child; and the death penalty, among other things.
An Expert asked how Saudi Arabia was implementing the provisions of the Convention if it had made reservations with respect to all such articles as were in conflict with the provisions of Islamic law.
Responding to questions raised by Committee members, the delegation said that women had the same rights as men in travelling and admission to hospitals. However, there were rules and procedures in Saudi Arabia regulating some aspects, including the implementation of the Convention to which some reservations were already entered. All Government agencies had the obligations to implement all provisions of conventions adhered to by the State, the delegation said.
The Convention was a system for Saudi Arabia and it was part of children's lives, the delegation said. Children had the right to express their points of view and could participate in discussions concerning their lives. They also took part in programmes regarding their social problems, and could review the positive and negative aspects of any programme intended for their well-being.
The Supreme Council for Children and the Planning Commission were established with the view to implementing and strengthening the rights of the child, the delegation said. The Planning Commission was composed of experts in child rights, and agencies such as UNICEF were invited to participate in its work. It also supervised the implementation of the Convention and monitored its dissemination.
Primary health care was guaranteed to all who needed treatment, the delegation said. Anyone who entered Saudi Arabia for work enjoyed the same privileges provided to citizens of the State.
Different ages were fixed to define the child, the delegation said; under 7 years of age, a child had no responsibility or duty of any kind; between 10 and 15 years of age, the responsibility of the child was increased; from 7 to 10 years, the child was considered a rational being and would start to learn and be trained in religious observances; from 15 to 18 years of age, the child was answerable to any wrongdoing; and a juvenile was defined, in the penal laws set forth in the Detention and Juvenile Homes Statues of 1975, as every human being below the age of 18 years. The regulations stipulated that a juvenile could not be detained in a public prison but should be delivered to surveillance centres.
The reservations expressed on some of the articles of the Convention were not on the interpretation and not on the essence, the delegation said. Most of the provisions were implemented and they were compatible with Islamic law.
Some of the practices affecting children and women had their roots in customs and not necessarily in the Islamic Shari'a, the delegation said; and such practices emanating from tradition needed improvement.
Polygamy was an exception to protect the unity of a family; it was not an obligation imposed on men to have more wives, the delegation said. However, it was better for a woman to be a wife than a mistress; and as a wife, her rights were respected by the Islamic Shari'a, which regulated the family code. The practice of polygamy had no influence on the upbringing and education of the child, nor did it affect the health of the child.
* *** *