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Finally, a Kuwaiti law has been issued with the specific task of considering human rights issues in Kuwait, by setting up the National Human Rights Bureau. Terms of membership of this body and conditions of selection have been defined, including previous experience in dealing with human rights issues.
The second article of this law states that it is an independent body supervised by the Council of Ministers, which aims to promote and protect human rights and respect for public and private freedoms. Article 3 stipulates that the new bureau will have a board of directors composed of 11 national figures. The president of the chamber and the vice-president will be fulltime members.
I believe that working fulltime is very important, because the agenda of human rights is packed. I would like to congratulate Jassem Al-Mubaraki on this important post, which carries great responsibility and will undoubtedly need a lot of support to carry out the work of the bureau. Everyone knows that the population of Kuwait is about 4 million people, including both citizens and expatriates. I hope the new president and members will proceed immediately in listing the main issues that can be examined and verified.
I also know that the bedoon issue is one of the outstanding issues affecting human rights directly, but unfortunately, it is not the only unresolved issue. The increase in population has added new concerns to the society. For example, there is no one considering the issue of poverty in Kuwait, as many people think there is no poverty in the state. There is also the subject of exploitation by companies, including non-payment of regular salaries and the conditions of prisoners and the provision of their humanitarian, psychological and physical needs.
I am sure that these issues are not absent from the minds of the members, because these are the issues that the Western world tackles. I hope members will make field visits to all areas where it is likely that human rights might be violated, whether of citizens or expatriates, in cooperation with the responsible government bodies.
I hope that the new bureau will be a Kuwaiti window for the Western world to view human rights issues and review outstanding issues with transparency and clarity. It should also issue online reports in both English and Arabic. I know some members of the new bureau are competent to handle this difficult task at a time when the community is raging with issues that are affecting human rights, and most importantly our reputation as a modern country with a global humanitarian leader.
By Muna Al-Fuzai
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