ALQST was officially admitted as a new member organisation of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) during its 40th Congress which took place in Taipei, Taiwan from 21-25 October. ALQST is delighted and honoured to have become a member and look forward to building on our partnership with FIDH and other member and affiliate organisations.
About FIDH
FIDH, established in 1922, is an international human rights NGO that defends all civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
The main FIDH headquarters are in Paris, with regional offices in Tunis, Tunisia, and permanent delegations in Geneva (United Nations) and New York (United Nations) and Brussels (European Union) and The Hague (International Criminal Court).
As a federal movement, FIDH operates on the basis of interaction with its member organisations. Ahead of its latest Congress, which is held every three years, FIDH was federating 184 organisations from 112 countries.
FIDH’s 40th Congress
At its 40th Congress in Taipei, Taiwan, over a dozen organisations, including ALQST, were admitted as new member organisations. Several other organisations changed from member to affiliate status.
As well as this, FIDH’s new International Board was voted in, including the new President, Botswana activist Alice Mogwe, five Secretary-Generals and 15 Vice-Presidents. Several resolutions were also passed, and internal regional and thematic meetings were held.
The Congress began with a two-day forum of discussions with human rights experts, covering an array of human rights issues including the death penalty, the protection of human rights defenders and the global fight against impunity.
Looking forward
ALQST and FIDH have a history of collaboration, including issuing joint publications, carrying out joint advocacy, and attending UN Human Rights Council sessions, including making a joint statement at Saudi Arabia’s Universal Periodic Review outcome on 14 March 2019.
Now as a member organisation, ALQST looks forward to building on this partnership, and fostering new relationships with other FIDH member organisations, including those working on similar thematic issues and those working on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
Given the scale and severity of violations in Saudi Arabia, our work is more vital than ever, and cross-organisational collaboration, including sharing advice, offering support and carrying out joint campaign and advocacy work, is essential.
About ALQST
ALQST is an independent, not-for-profit organisation that works to defend human rights in Saudi Arabia. ‘Al-qist’ means ‘justice in Arabic, and a passion for justice lies at the heart of all our work. We defend the fundamental rights of all, without any distinctions of race, sex, gender or religion.
Since it was established in 2014, ALQST has become a leading Saudi-focused human rights organisation, actively monitoring and researching violations, assisting victims, and advocating and campaigning for human rights in Saudi Arabia.
