Amid GCC Row, Governments across the Gulf Fail to Address Statelessness

With the diplomatic crisis embroiling the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, Saudi– and United Arab Emirates (UAE)-backed institutions have accused the Qatari government of arbitrarily revoking the citizenship of 55 members of the Al Morah (al-Murrah) tribe, including its leader, Sheikh Talib bin Mohammed bin Lahoum bin Shraim. Though it is as yet unclear if[…]

HRC35 Item 3 Intervention: Kuwait’s continued use of the kafala system

On Monday 12 June, Yusuf al-Hoori delivered an intervention in behalf of ADHRB during the 35th session of the Human Rights Council under the Item 3 Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on trafficking. In his intervention, al-Hoori raised concerns about Kuwait’s continued use of the kafala system of labor sponsorship. Please continue reading for the[…]

HRC35 Item 3 Oral Intervention: Discrimination Against Women in the GCC

On 9 June 2017, Jawad Fairooz, Director of Salam for Democracy and Human Rights, delivered an oral intervention on behalf of ADHRB and BIRD during the 35th session of the Human Rights Council’s Item 3 addressing the Working Group on Discrimination Against Women’s visit to Kuwait and the issues facing women around the GCC. Please[…]

Kuwait’s Escalating Campaign against Its Expat Workers

In recent months, tensions in Kuwait surrounding the country’s demographic composition have been on the rise. Like all Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, a significant percentage of Kuwait’s population is comprised of foreign nationals who have traveled to the country for work opportunities. As Kuwait continues to grapple with economic changes stemming from a decline[…]

Bidoon women may face greater risk due to lack of state-sponsored healthcare protections

On 9 March 2017, the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) held a panel discussion on preventable maternal mortality and morbidity as a human rights priority for all states. In the dialogue that ensued, speakers and organizations spoke of healthcare as a human right, and sharply criticized policies and practices around the world that contribute to[…]