King Saud University – News Portal

King Saud University recently signed an agreement with the Saudi Arabian Human Rights Commission (HRC) to develop long- strategic plan and goals aimed at combining the two organizations’ complimentary resources and ideas. The agreement, signed by KSU Rector Abdullah Al-Othman and Saudi HRC President Bandar bin Mohammed Al-Aiban, was attended by HRC Vice President Zaid Hassan and Deputy chairman of the Institute for Consulting and Research Abdulrahman Al-Barrak.

Dr. Al-Othman welcomed the new collaboration with the HRC, pointing out that the agreement is an important component of achieving King Saud University’s goals to benefit Saudi society, such as the strengthening of a balanced and just society. The Rector celebrated the signing as a source of pride for KSU, which is committed to providing research and consultancy services to the Human Rights Commission.

HRC President Al-Aiban pointed-out that this agreement has laid the ground for the creating a fruitful long-term collaboration, establishing potential priorities and goals, as well as developing strategies required to meet many vital needs of Saudi society. He said that the Saudi HRC has established this collaboration based on the University’s strong reputation for quality research and its contribution to developing human capital in the Kingdom. The HRC President finished by saying that the Commission depends on applied scientific research and invaluable consultation for capacity building and meeting the changing needs of Saudi Arabia in the 21^st century.

As an independent government body, a basic premise of the Human Rights Commission is to:

• follow issues related to human rights violations in Saudi Arabia;
• monitor the implementation of rules and regulations with respect to human rights in public and private enterprises;
• reveal human rights abuses that violate rules and regulations, and take necessary legal actions against the violators;
• visit prisons and detention centers at any time, without the permission of authorities, to assess the actual situation and;
• suggest solutions vis-à-vis existing regulations of human rights in the Kingdom.

The collaboration is the embodiment of good governance supported by the leadership of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, who strives to promote the principles of justice and equality among Saudis, ensure people’s legitimate rights and freedoms and maintain Saudi Arabian cultural values, while ensuring universal human rights.