ALQST, in collaboration with Global Citizen, has launched a new campaign to maximise public pressure on Saudi Arabia’s leaders to accept and implement important human rights recommendations made during Saudi Arabia’s recent Universal Periodic Review (UPR). ALQST calls on its supporters to take part in the campaign by signing a petition, joining in a Twitter/ X action, and circulating both of these widely, to help increase the spotlight on the Saudi authorities’ response. 

On 22 January 2024, during Saudi Arabia’s fourth UPR, UN member states issued a long list of recommendations to address widespread and systematic rights violations in the kingdom, including calls for the release of prisoners of conscience, abolition of the male guardianship system, abolition of the death penalty for minors, and other legislative reforms. These recommendations, which reflect input from human rights NGOs including ALQST, have the potential to bring about significant change in the country.

Saudi Arabia has until the 56th UN Human Rights Council session in June to decide whether to “support” (accept) or merely “note” (reject) each of these recommendations. In its previous UPR, in 2018, Saudi Arabia formally accepted the bulk of the recommendations made, albeit with some notable exceptions. Yet despite the Saudi delegation’s claim in this latest UPR that the kingdom has implemented “80% of the total number” of the 2018 recommendations, in reality little to no progress has been made. Meanwhile, the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia has continued to deteriorate.

Take action

ALQST and Global Citizen call on their supporters to stand in solidarity with Saudi human rights activists by joining in this new campaign and urging the Saudi authorities to accept and implement the vital reforms recommended by UN member states.

• Sign our petition here
• Send a tweet to the Saudi authorities
• Look out for further actions to follow in the weeks ahead