EIn the future, a representative of Saudi Arabia will advocate for women's rights on behalf of the United Nations. On Wednesday, Saudi UN Ambassador Abdulaziz Alwasil was elected chairman of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW). The election in New York was by acclamation and drew sharp criticism from human rights organizations due to the “catastrophic” situation of women’s rights in the country.
It had been clear for some time that Alwasil would take over the post. The presidency is actually given for two years, but the Philippines was pressured by a group of Asian countries to give up the presidency after just one year. A representative of Bangladesh was planned as his successor. However, Saudi Arabia campaigned for itself. Riyadh was supported on Wednesday by a group of Asian states. When the outgoing chairman asked about objections to the election of Saudi Arabia, none of those present spoke up – the committee includes Switzerland, the Netherlands, Japan and Portugal, among others. Germany is not represented there.
Amnesty: “Catastrophic”
Human rights groups had already pointed out the situation of women in the Sunni kingdom. This has improved slightly since de facto ruler Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman took office – women, among other things, have been able to get a driving license since 2018. However, Amnesty International described the situation of women in Saudi Arabia as “catastrophic” in a statement. She pointed out that Riyadh would now play a key role in the preparations for the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Beijing Declaration. The declaration is considered a blueprint for how women's rights should be spread globally.
Saudi Arabia's election shows a “shocking disregard for women's rights everywhere,” Human Rights Watch said in a statement. “A country in which women are imprisoned simply for publicly standing up for their rights has no right to represent the UN’s most important forum for women’s rights and gender equality,” it continued. The country should seize the opportunity and immediately release all women from prison who only stood up for their rights.
Taking over the presidency is seen as an attempt by the Saudi royal family to improve its international reputation with regard to women's rights. From Riyadh, among other things, reference is made to a law passed in 2022 that will strengthen the position of women. But there are still rules that place women under men's control. They need a man's permission if they want to get married. The woman has to subordinate herself to her husband in an “appropriate manner” and his financial support for his wife is based on her “obedience”. Refusal to have sexual intercourse can also result in withdrawal of financial support. Saudi Arabia ranks 131st out of 146 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index published by the World Economic Forum last year.
The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women is tasked with advancing gender equality and the advancement of women. It includes 45 states, 13 from Africa, eleven from Asia, nine from Latin America, eight from Western Europe and four from Eastern Europe. The members are elected for four years. Non-governmental organizations can take part in the meetings in an advisory capacity. The commission exerts influence primarily by drawing up conventions and declarations, which are then adopted by the general assembly. The UNCSW is a so-called functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (Ecosoc), one of the six main bodies of the UN.