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Article

29 Mar 2017

Author:
Sarah Brooks, ISHR (Switzerland)

Civil society emphasises role of business in protecting human rights defenders in the Gulf

"Gulf region: Business has a role in protecting human rights defenders", 29 March 2017.

Systemic, sophisticated attacks against human rights defenders continue throughout the Gulf region, with the recent enforced disappearance of prominent human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor in the United Arab Emirates just the latest egregious example. In light of the outsized influence of wealthy governments in the region, the international community should consider new responses to this crackdown, including by engaging business enterprises and leveraging business interests, and through better follow-up on UN expert recommendations... Cases such as the sale of surveillance equipment and facial recognition technology to Bahraini authorities, as well as the development and sale of censorship technology, are just a few examples of how business deals give defenders a bad bargain... 'The big car companies have huge business in Saudi Arabia. But women still cannot drive. We believe it is in their interest to encourage the government to abandon the ban, but we have had trouble getting them to listen' [said Dr Hala Al-Doseri, a woman human rights defender from Saudi Arabia].