Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Ninety-fifth session

23 April-11 May 2018

Item 6 of the provisional agenda

Consideratio n of reports, comments and information submitted by States parties under article 9 of the Convention

List of themes in relation to the combined fourth to ninth periodic reports of Saudi Arabia

Note by the Country Rapporteur

1.The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination decided at its seventy-sixth session (see A/65/18, para. 85) that the Country Rapporteur would send to the State party concerned a short list of themes with a view to guiding and focusing the dialogue between the State party’s delegation and the Committee during the consideration of the State party’s report. The present document contains a list of such themes. It is not an exhaustive list; other issues may also be raised in the course of the dialogue. No written replies are required.

The Convention in domestic law and the institutional and policy framework for its implementation (arts. 1, 2, 4, and 6)

2.Provide further information on the ethnic composition of the population, including non-citizens, disaggregated by age, gender, ethnic group and nationality; and detailed statistical information on the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights, disaggregated by ethnic groups (CERD/C/62/CO/8, paras. 20 and 23).

3.Provide further information on the Human Rights Commission, including whether it is mandated to combat racial discrimination such as through consideration of individual complaints of racial discrimination, and its conformity with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles) (CERD/C/62/CO/8, para. 22; CERD/C/SAU/4-9, paras. 31 and 34).

4.Information on specific domestic legislation prohibiting racial discrimination as defined in article 1 of the Convention (CERD/C/SAU/4-9, paras. 42–43).

5.Information on measures taken to strengthen the existing legal framework on racial discrimination, and their impact (CERD/C/62/CO/8, para. 10; CERD/C/SAU/4-9, paras. 44–58).

6.Information on whether criminal legislation defines motives based on race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin as an aggravating circumstance when imposing punishment for a crime.

7.Provide further detailed information on the implementation and impact of legislative provisions that prohibit the dissemination of ideas based on racial superiority or hatred, and also that prohibit incitement to racial discrimination or acts of violence as well as organizations that promote and incite racial discrimination, in accordance with article 4 of the Convention (CERD/C/62/CO/8, para. 10, CERD/C/SAU/4-9, paras. 59–63).

8.Information on cases in domestic courts which directly cite the Convention (CERD/C/SAU/4-9, para. 3).

9.Detailed information on mechanisms in place to monitor implementation of the Convention (CERD/C/SAU/4-9, para. 94). Detailed information on complaints of racial discrimination, racist hate crimes and racist hate speech filed to the police and other relevant authorities, including statistical data disaggregated by sex, age and ethnic or national origin of the victim, and data on numbers of complaints filed, investigations, prosecutions, and convictions (CERD/C/62/CO/8, para. 11).

Situation of ethnic minorities (arts. 2 and 4–6)

10.Detailed information on specific measures taken by the State party to remove all obstacles to freedom of thought, conscience and religion of ethno-religious groups, in accordance with article 5 (d) of the Convention; information on measures taken to prevent discrimination against ethno-religious groups in education, employment, and the legal system (CERD/C/62/CO/8, para. 15; CERD/C/SAU/4-9, paras. 90–91).

11.Information on measures taken to ensure that persons of African descent enjoy equal access to housing, education, health care and employment, and information on measures taken to end reported societal racism against persons of African descent.

Situation of non-citizens, including stateless persons, refugees and migrants (arts. 5 and 7)

12.Please provide statistical data on the numbers of refugees and stateless persons in the State party.

13.Information on measures taken to end the sponsorship (kafalah) system, which ties residency permits of migrant workers to their employer (CERD/C/SAU/4-9, para. 104).

14.Detailed updated information on measures taken to ensure the consistent implementation of protective laws and policies to prevent abuse of migrant domestic workers. Updated information on the impact of measures to protect migrant domestic workers from forced labour and related practices. Information on measures taken to ensure access to justice, including statistical data on the numbers of prosecutions and convictions of perpetrators of abuse against migrant domestic workers (CERD/C/SAU/4-9, paras. 26–27 and 104–106).

15.Updated detailed information on the implementation and impact of measures taken to protect migrant workers from forced labour and related practices and measures taken to ensure that all their rights under the Convention are guaranteed (CERD/C/62/CO/8, para. 16; CERD/C/SAU/4-9, paras. 27, 80 and 100).

16.Information on measures taken to end prejudice against migrant workers from Asia and Africa (CERD/C/62/CO/8, para. 17).

17.Information on measures taken to ensure that non-Saudis that are not migrant workers, who are living in poverty in the State party, have access to social security and services.

18.Provide information on the impact of the “Saudization Plan” and “Saudi Vision 2030” on ethnic minorities, and non-citizens, including migrant workers (CERD/C/62/CO/8, para. 19; CERD/C/SAU/4-9, para. 41).

19.Information on the implementation and impact of Cabinet Decision No. 406 (12 November 2012) on children of Saudi women married to foreigners; information on measures taken to ensure that Saudi women can transfer their nationality to their children at birth, and on measures taken to ensure that a foreign man married to a Saudi woman is able to acquire Saudi nationality in the same manner as a foreign woman married to a Saudi man, without discrimination (CERD/C/62/CO/8, para. 14; CERD/C/SAU/4-9, paras. 27 and 82–84).

20.Information on the situation of bidoons in the State party, including information on measures taken to end the statelessness of the bidoons and to ensure they have access to health care, education, employment and basic services, without discrimination, and on the impact of such measures.

21.Detailed information on the situation of refugees in the State party, including updated information on measures taken to improve living conditions in refugee camps (CERD/C/62/CO/8, para. 21). Detailed information on measures taken to ensure that refugees have access to health care, education, employment, water and sanitation, and other basic services, without discrimination (CERD/C/SAU/4-9, paras. 54–55).

Training, education and other measures to combat prejudice and intolerance (art. 7)

22.Updated detailed information on training programmes on the prevention of racial discrimination and the rights enshrined in the Convention conducted for law enforcement officers, judges and lawyers, as well as representatives of State bodies, local government entities and associations and the impact of such training programmes on the elimination of racial discrimination (CERD/C/62/CO/8, para. 13; CERD/C/SAU/4-9, paras. 143–144).

23.Further information on the national human rights education plan, in particular as it relates to the elimination of racial discrimination (CERD/C/SAU/4-9, para. 141); please provide information on the representation of ethno-religious groups in school textbooks and curricula; updated detailed information on efforts to promote racial tolerance in the State party, and their impact (CERD/C/62/CO/8, para. 12; CERD/C/SAU/4-9, para. 148).