Dashti, speaking to the national news agency, while Kuwait marks, along with the international community, the Human Rights Day falling on Dec 10, has expressed his strong belief that this bill will be endorsed as a law soon. There are other bills currently under examination by the committee, he said, indicating that some of the draft laws stipulate establishment of the “national general unity authority,” tackle racial indiscrimination in addition to the proposed humanitarian laws for the illegal residents.
The Kuwaiti Government and the National Assembly will pursue task of drafting new legislations regarding such basic rights to “stay abreast of international developments in this respect,” said Dashti, noting that the Kuwaiti people, naturally, have embraced human rights, even before enshrining them in the National Constitution. He confirmed that Kuwait’s second periodic comprehensive report on human rights at the domestic level would be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva on January 28th, replying to all UNHRC’s enquiries and remarks related to the country’s record at this level.
Members of the National Assembly committee, on Monday, held a meeting with Foreign Ministry officials, reviewing efforts by the preparatory panel for the periodic report that would be submitted to the Geneva-based UNHRC. The report will reply to 159 remarks and recommendations, of which Kuwait has approved 123. The Kuwaiti commission will also hold a meeting with the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on Dec 15, also addressing the same topic.
Dashti reiterated keenness on establishing the human rights diwan, as well as other relevant bodies namely “the family tribunal,” the “child and juvenile law,” currently under examination by the concerned parliamentary commissions, in addition to measures, being taken by the Central Apparatus for Illegal Residents’ Affairs with respect of tackling the file of these residents.
The world has taken strides at level of promoting human rights, Dashti said, forecasting greater role in the domain by the parliaments. The UN General Assembly proclaimed Dec 10 as Human Rights Day in 1950, to bring to the attention of the peoples of the world to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations.
This year’s slogan, “Human Rights 365,” encompasses the idea that every day is a human rights day. Kuwait had signed a series of international conventions that safeguard human rights. The first parliamentary commission tasked with defending human rights was formed on Oct 24, 1992. It acts to ensure rights for prisoners, tackle various issues concerning the extradited, the expatriates and detainees.
