Dr. Awwad bin Saleh Al-Awwad, President of the Human Rights Commission (HRC), met today with 17 members of the Political and Security Committee of the European Union in the Belgian capital, Brussels. During the meeting, Dr. Al-Awwad affirmed that the Kingdom has always sought to protect and promote human rights, and has met the international obligations to which it became party by submitting all the required international reports. Out of the 197 UN Member States, the Kingdom is now among thirty-six states that have met their obligations in this respect, as a result of the human rights support provided by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Speaking to the Political and Security Committee members, Al-Awwad stated that His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, has made a qualitative leap and led the wheel of reform, development, change and modernization of all state facilities, particularly human rights. The past three years have witnessed about 60 reform decisions dealing with human rights, out of which 22 decisions were related to women, in an attempt to empower them. At the forefront of these reforms comes the launch of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, which places human beings at the focus of development, exactly as planned by the architect of the Vision, HRH the Crown Prince. The Vision, Al-Awwad states, comprises several goals and axes that are directly related to human rights. It has also issued a number of orders and decisions on human rights, in addition to amending several laws to comply with the Kingdom's policies regarding human rights issues. Al-Awwad added: "Our country is open to the world and is still looking forward to realizing more achievements under its leadership; the Kingdom seeks to fulfill the principles and values of human rights and endeavors to push such values to prevail at the global level so that they would help promote sustainable development efforts and human rights protection and promotion. --More 20:06 LOCAL TIME 17:06 GMT 0027 www.spa.gov.sa/2010519
