UPR Sexual Rights Database

UN Compilation:
Para 27) The Committee noted as positive that the primary health-care services provided free consultations and medication for children under 5 years of age, pregnant women ...

National Report:
Para 11) … In 2017, it ratified: the ICCPR, the OP-ICCPR; … the ICESCR;

National Report:
Para 74) As regards the reference made in recommendation 108.38 to raising the minimum age for marriage, it should be noted that this matter is expressly addressed in article 22 (d) of the current Family Code, which reads: “The following circumstances also constitute a direct impediment to marriage: … (d) The person concerned is under 18 years of age.”

UN Compilation:
Para 13) UNICEF noted … that worrying phenomena continued to be observed in the area of child protection, including … and early marriage.
Para 49) UN-Women also referred to concerns regarding the proportion of women aged 20– 24 years old who were married or in a union before age 18, …
Para 53) UNICEF noted that the new family law established 18 as the minimum age for marriage and strengthened the obligations of parents, especially fathers, towards their children. The law represented an important step forward for gender equity as, previously, girls could be married at 14, and boys at 16. The stronger focus on fathers was aimed at improving shared responsibilities among caregivers with regard to child care and support.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 41) Just Atonement Inc noted with concern that children and adolescents were, in particular, vulnerable to being victims of harmful practices of witchcraft. It regretted that those human rights violations were due to deeply rooted cultural patterns and the reluctance of people to rely on formal medicine.
Para 24) Just Atonement Inc noted with concern that practices against children, such as child marriages and corporal punishment were still common in Sao Tome and Principe, despite educational efforts.

National Report:
Para 48) Political and public participation: Pursuant to Royal Decree No. A/44 of 12 January 2013, article 3 of the Shura Council Act was amended to enable women, who had until then participated in the work of the Council as advisors only, to acquire full membership of the Council and occupy a minimum of 20 per cent of the seats. The members of the new session of the Shura Council were designated pursuant to Royal Decree No. A/45, promulgated on 12 January 2013, and included 30 women.

Para 49) Approval has been given for women to stand for and be elected to membership of municipal councils as from the next session in 2014. Saudi women hold high public office and are now important partners in influential political decision-making, serving as they do in leadership positions as ministers, deputy ministers and senior officials.

Para 50) Chapter IV, section II, of the Enforcement Act includes provisions on enforcement in matters of personal status and addresses the topics of custody, maintenance, visits and marital issues. In the interests of family conciliation, mediation sections were set up in the courts and in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in order to resolve problems and ensure family welfare. These sections play a ground-breaking role in bringing about domestic harmony.

Para 52) ... For its part, the Ministry of Labour has issued a number of decisions designed to accelerate the recruitment of women in various private-sector spheres (including women's shops, retailing and factories).

Para 55) Raising awareness of women's rights: Government entities and civil society organizations together ran a national campaign to raise women's awareness of the laws and measures in place to protect their rights, particularly with respect to, inter alia, social welfare services and personal status procedures for the registration of marriages, divorces and births. In parallel with these efforts, such NGOs as Mawwadah, which is concerned with women's affairs, implemented a number of voluntary programmes for providing legal, social and psychological advice to women.

Para 56) Saudi women married to non-nationals: Pursuant to Cabinet Decision No. 406 of 12 November 2012, approval was given for the sponsorship of children of Saudi women married to non-nationals to be transferred to their mother if they are resident in the Kingdom. If they are abroad, their mother is entitled to send for them and the State shoulders the cost of their resident permits. They are also permitted to work in the private sector without any transfer of the sponsorship. They receive the same schooling and medical treatment as any Saudi and are included in the Saudization percentages for the private sector. Saudi women married to non-nationals are further permitted to bring their spouse to the Kingdom if he is abroad or, if he is resident in the Kingdom and so wishes, to have his sponsorship transferred to her. The spouse is also permitted to work in the private sector, provided that he has a recognized passport. In addition, pursuant to Cabinet Decision No. 152 of 25 March 2013, female international scholarship students married to non-nationals are awarded the same monthly allowance as women married to Saudi men.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 21) JS3 and HRW noted that KSA failed to demonstrate any progress on abolishing the male guardianship system and recommended its elimination.

Para 61) JS4, JS1, ECLJ and HRW noted that although recommendations 17, 18, 19 and 20 had been accepted during the 2009 UPR, little has been done to genuinely implement them.

National Report:
Para 28) Two human rights instruments — the ICCPR and ICESCR — are currently being studied by a high-level governmental committee with a view to accession. Under article 5(4) of its charter, the Human Rights Commission may express an opinion on international human rights instruments and accession thereto.