Kuwait briefs UN meeting on its anti-torture policies

Kuwait is committed to the UN Convention against Torture through the development of policies preventing all forms of maltreatment of human beings, a Kuwaiti diplomat said yesterday. Briefing a meeting for the members of the convention, Kuwait’s permanent delegate to the international organizations and UN headquarters in Geneva Ambassador Jamal AlGhunaim said that Kuwait’s policies regarding efforts against torture were in line with international laws and norms.

Kuwait is keen on fulfilling its obligation against the spread of torture and inhumane acts, said the Kuwaiti diplomat, affirming that this attitude stemmed from his country’s utmost support for human rights. Amongst the Gulf state’s efforts to combat torture were the establishment of the National Diwan for Human Rights and the Public Anti-Corruption Authority (PACA) in 2015 and 2016 respectively, considered as crucial steps towards developing human rights in Kuwait, noted Ghunaim.

On the regional and international levels, Ambassador Ghunaim said that the formation of a human rights bureau under the supervision of the Foreign Ministry was another indication of Kuwait’s strong commitment to anti-torture measures.

Laws within the Kuwaiti constitution pertaining to the protection of children, laborers, women, immigrants and other sectors of society all focused on upholding human rights values, said the Kuwaiti diplomat, adding that his country was revising and developing laws and legislations to further protect all individuals within the society.

Ambassador Ghunaim affirmed that Kuwait will work with regional and international partners to prevent all acts of torture and other violations of human rights, stressing that the current briefing was in line with the State of Kuwait’s commitment to such causes. The UN Convention against Torture was adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 10, 1984. —KUNA