Riyadh: The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) on Wednesday, March 27, unanimously elected the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to chair the 69th session of the commission in the year 2025.
Ambassador Dr Abdulaziz Al-Wasel is the first permanent representative of the Kingdom to chair this commission since its establishment in 1946, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
The CSW is a UN technical committee that evaluates progress in women’s status, sets standards, and formulates policies to improve global women’s status.
Saudi Arabia’s chairmanship of the committee reflects its interest in international cooperation for women’s rights and empowerment, aligning with the Kingdom’s qualitative achievements in this field.
Saudi women actively contribute to the nation’s development, achieving success in various fields, aligning with Vision 2030’s priorities for women’s full participation and energy investment.
In this regard, Louis Charbonneau, UN director at the Human Rights Watch (HRW), took to X and wrote that the election showed a “shocking disregard for women’s rights everywhere.”
“A country that imprisons women simply for standing up for their rights has no place in the main UN forum for women’s rights and gender equality.”
“The Saudi authorities should demonstrate that this honour was not completely undeserved and immediately release all detained women’s rights defenders, end male guardianship and guarantee the full exercise of women’s rights to equality.”
“Saudi Arabia’s abysmal record when it comes to protecting and promoting the rights of women puts a spotlight on the vast gulf between the lived reality of women and girls in Saudi Arabia, and the aspirations of the Commission,” said Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Advocacy, Sherine Tadros, adding that the country can’t “prove its commitment to women’s rights merely by securing a leadership role in the Commission.”
