On the occasion of International Human Rights Day, the EU Delegation in Kuwait and Kuwait Society for Human Rights (KSHR) brought together representatives from the Kuwaiti authorities, civil society organizations, migrant workers, private sector and diplomatic missions in Kuwait to mark this important occasion. During the event, both the EU Delegation and KSHR announced their partnership in the context of KSHR’s “Together4” Project. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) office in Kuwait participated in the event.

This project aims at raising migrant workers’ awareness of their legal rights in Kuwait. The EU Delegation will fund visibility activities around the project, including the updating and printing of guidelines on the rights of domestic workers and workers in the private and oil sectors in several languages, including English, Arabic, Amharic and French. It should be recalled that in 2023, the European Union awarded the KSHR with the Chaillot Prize for the Promotion of Human Rights in the GCC Region, in concrete for the earlier phases of “Together” project.

In her speech during the event, EU Ambassador Anne Koistinen said: “What we are seeing these days in Gaza, or what we have been seeing in Syria, Lebanon, Ukraine, Sudan and other parts of the world, is a painful reminder that all human rights of all individuals are equally important. For us at the European Union, human rights are at the core of our founding treaties. Our treaties stipulate that the EU's action on the international scene shall be guided by these foundational values. For that purpose, the European External Action Service has not spared efforts in building a foreign policy consensus among EU Member States, including situations where human rights are being violated. Human rights remain a priority in the EU’s foreign policy, and we strive to build partnerships with other countries, including Kuwait, in defending the UN charter and the rules-based international order. Human rights are one of our priority areas of the collaboration with Kuwait, both at government and civil society levels. Last week, the EU and Kuwait held the fifth round of our annual human rights dialogue. This is a very useful format that allows us to take stock of the latest human rights developments, exchange views on the respect of human rights, and build cooperation on areas of mutual interest.”

Ramon Sanz Fuente

Ahmed Al-Saleh, member of the board of directors at Kuwait Society for Human Rights, said: “the event coincides with World Human Rights Day, the day on which one of the most significant global commitments was made: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We are pleased to congratulate everyone on the 76th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to reaffirm that human rights empower individuals to build a better tomorrow, with more peaceful, equal, and sustainable societies. These rights are preserved and guaranteed by the Constitution of Kuwait, its laws, and various regulations.”

This important phase of the "Together" project will focus on implementing its fourth version, which the Kuwait Society for Human Rights KSHR has been carrying out since 2016. The project aims to protect, raise awareness, and educate contracted workers in Kuwait about their rights and duties, advocate for their labour issues, provide psychological, social, and legal support, and study the labor situation in Kuwait by issuing periodic reports that monitor governmental actions—both positive and negative—in protecting the rights of contracted workers in the country. Now, KSHR is moving forward with the fourth phase of the project, after signing an agreement with the Public Authority of Manpower to transform the project into a national activity that contributes to improving Kuwait’s ranking in international human rights and anti-trafficking reports, in line with priority recommendations submitted to Kuwait, especially those issued by the Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, and the Committee on Human Rights.

Mina Basta