Saudi Arabia's efforts and contribution for the protection of human rights have been highly appreciated by the concerned international bodies and institutions. These efforts were duly rewarded when the Kingdom won membership to the UN First Human Rights Council in 2006. The government of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has demonstrated significant concern for human rights and has laid the foundation for the protection of these rights in the local and international communities, taking into account the privacy and respect of the teachings of religion. The efforts of the Kingdom spring from its commitment to the application of the tolerant Islamic Shariah, which calls for all to preserve human life and dignity. To that end, several measures have been taken, including the provisions of Article 26 of the Basic System of Governance which emphasizes the Kingdom's commitment to the protection of human rights. Also, the Kingdom ratified four key international treaties including the International Convention on the Elimination of Forms of Racial Discrimination in 1997, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 2000, the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1996. In the same vein, Saudi Arabia ratified five International Labor Organization (ILO) conventions, including C105 on the abolition of forced labor; C26 the Minimum Wage-Fixing Machinery Convention; the Equal Remuneration Convention C100; C11 on the right of association; and the Worst Forms of Child Labor Convention C182 , as well as expressing reservations on some provisions that are contrary to Islamic law. At the regional level, in 1990, the Kingdom ratified the “Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam” issued by a meeting of the foreign ministers of Islamic countries and also ratified the Arab Charter of Human Rights adopted by the Arab Summit held in Tunisia in 2004. At the level of strengthening the mechanisms for the protection of human rights, the government approved the establishment of the first body to promote human rights in 2005 which began its work in 2006, and before that, the government approved the establishment of the 41-member National Society for Human Rights, which includes 10 women. The establishment of both the Human Rights Commission as a government agency and the National Society for Human Rights contributes to the dissemination of a culture of human rights in many parts of the Kingdom, and activates the mechanisms of monitoring and follow up of any violations of these rights in addition to receiving complaints and inspecting the conditions of prisons and advising on laws and regulations. In recognition of Saudi Arabian efforts, international human rights bodies and other regional bodies commended the Kingdom's achievements including the holding of municipal council elections in 2005, the establishment of the Saudi Journalists Association in 2003, the establishment of the King Abdul Aziz Center for National Dialogue in 2003 and the call of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for dialogue among followers of religions and peaceful co-existence between peoples. As a result of these efforts, King Abdullah received the Lech Walesa Prize for his contribution toward “interfaith dialogue, tolerance, peace and international cooperation” and in recognition of his charity work. International human rights bodies have commended the Kingdom's adoption of the national strategy to fight corruption through a specialized body, and the development of programs and mechanisms for their application. International agencies have also commended the royal directives to deport foreign prisoners to their countries in accordance with a set of guarantees and procedures and also praised the country's labor laws.
