Saudi Arabia: Civil Rights and Local Actors

Transnational advocacy directed towards the Saudi Arabian government originated mainly out of Western democratic states, UN human-rights mechanisms, international rights NGOs (nongovernmental organizations), and local rights groups and other activists. Transnational actors often remind democratic Western states of their responsibility to act in the field of human rights, as they rely heavily on these states and see them as prime movers in bringing about change in human rights and freedoms. The United States and the European Union have shown international concern over civil rights and have often addressed issues related to human rights in their bilateral relations with the kingdom. UN human-rights mechanisms include charter- and treaty-based bodies. The former include the Human Rights Council and its Special Procedures, which have been monitoring and advocating for development concerning rights. Several Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups have been monitoring human-rights practices, lobbying to improve human rights conditions in the kingdom and pressing the government to further accede to UN instruments.