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18:12 GMT
Kuwait's permanent delegate to the UN Ambassador Jamal Al-Ghunaim during 12th session of the Arab Human Rights Committee
CAIRO, Jan 9 (KUNA) -- Equality, justice and indiscrimination are the main pillars of human rights in the State of Kuwait since its independence in 1961, said the state's envoy to UN organizations in Geneva Jamal Al-Ghunaim.
Kuwait's constitution, endorsed in 1962, has guaranteed human rights and personal liberties particularly in chapter three of public rights and duties, Al-Ghunaim said in his speech at the 12th session of the Arab Human Rights Committee held in Cairo Monday.
Equality, justice and indiscrimination emerge as the main features of human rights in Kuwait's constitution, he said citing article 29 which reads "people are equal in human dignity, and in public rights and duties before the law, without distinction as to race, origin, language or religion."
He also cited article 30 which explicitly states that "personal liberty is guaranteed".
Kuwait's constitution also enshrines freedom of expression and movement, he added.
Al-Ghunaim also pointed out that the National Assembly has passed a slew of effective legislations to ensure the implementation of the constitutional articles relative to human rights.
He cited as examples human trafficking law No. 91 of 2013; National Diwan for Human Rights law No. 67 of 2015; Children Rights law No. 21 of 2015.
Moreover, the successive governments have introduced a large number of regulations and executive mechanisms to promote human rights and enforce relevant laws, he argued.
The state has also joined a large number of international and regional human rights conventions and treaties and the parliament has voted them into laws.
In 1994, Kuwait endorsed the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), and in 2015 Kuwait declared 16th of May a day for honoring Kuwaiti women, he said.
He elaborated that Kuwait has also taken all necessary measures to eliminate any form of discrimination against women and to empower Kuwaiti women in all domains.
A 2011 statistical report showed that women make up 48.6 percent of the manpower in the private sector and nearly 46.5 percent in the public sector, he clarified.
Furthermore, Al-Ghumaim noted that in 1996, Kuwait hammered out and ratified into laws the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). (Pickup previous)
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