The head of the European Union delegation to the Kingdom Ambassador Adam Kulach has said that the election of 20 Saudi women in various part of Saudi Arabia was a cornerstone achievement for women’s initiatives not only in the Kingdom but for
the whole region.
He said their election made the initiative “truly successful.”
Ambassador Kulach made his observation at awarding ceremony on Monday for the annual Chaillot Prize for the promotion of human rights in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region in 2015.
The winners for the local civil society organizations went to Baladi Initiative, a Saudi women’s group which works for women empowerment and was actively engaged in the just concluded municipality election.
The other winner was Thulatha Cultural Forum, while the lifetime achievement award was given to Ibrahim Al-Muqaiteeb for his active role in the peaceful promotion of human rights.
The winners represented public or private institutions as well as individuals for their efforts in promoting general awareness of human rights and the rights of vulnerable groups in the GCC region.
“Human rights is the core of our values from the very beginning,” Ambassador Kulach said in his speech, adding that because the EU was created just after World War II at a period where there was no human rights bodies and such bodies should be the utmost solution to many human rights violation.
Speaking further, he said, the EU has chosen the winners for their role in defending human rights and devoting their life to promoting it.
He said Baladi Initiative was not only empowering Saudi women by speaking in their voice but also promoted women’s activities in different fields and the most recent of this was their active engagement in the municipal elections.
The Chaillot prize, named after the Palais de Chaillot in Paris, is awarded to organizations to acknowledge and further encourage their remarkable efforts and work for the promotion and protection of human rights. It took place in Riyadh this year to mark the human rights day observed by the international community every year on Dec 10.
The prize is presented annually by the delegation of the European Union in Riyadh which covers GCC members states to civil society organizations, public and private institutions, campaigns and projects which support human rights awareness, promotion and protection in the GCC region.
Norwegian Ambassador Rolf Willy Hansen said that civil society activists are doing a very important work. Human rights is vital element of the EU foreign policy to which Norway gives great importance. “We are happy to see the recipients today being recognized,” he said.
The election of 20 Saudi women in various municipalities is a welcome development, he said.
Agencies
