HM the Sultan hosts dinner in honour of Emir of Qatar
The dinner was attended by some members of the Royal Family, ministers, commanders of the Sultan's Armed Forces (SAF) and the Royal Oman Police, as well as ambassadors of Arab and friendly countries, members of the Council of Oman, undersecretaries, some ambassadors at the Foreign Ministry and CEOs.
Prior to the dinner, the two leaders exchanged commemorative gifts, in a manifestation of fraternal ties binding the two countries.
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Observer
13 hours ago
- Observer
Over 1,000 human rights cases received in 2024
MUSCAT, AUG 11 Oman Human Rights Commission (OHRC) received and documented a total of 1,006 cases in 2024, including 47 complaints and 22 reports, while 937 cases were provided with legal support. These cases spanned various civil, political, economic, social, cultural, environmental and developmental rights, as well as the rights of vulnerable groups. This was revealed during a press conference held on Monday by Oman Human Rights Commission, which highlighted its key efforts in 2024, including monitoring and receiving complaints, responding to regional and international reports, and organising internal and external activities. Addressing the media on Monday, Dr Rashid bin Hamad al Balushi, Chairman of Oman Human Rights Commission, said that the commission continues its national role in protecting and promoting human rights, guided by its mandate and the principles enshrined in the Basic Law of the State and international conventions to which Oman is a signatory. He affirmed the commission's commitment to enhancing its operational mechanisms and strengthening its role as an independent national institution dedicated to fostering a culture of human rights, citizenship, justice and human dignity in Oman. Dr Al Balushi said that the commission's vision is to serve as an effective national platform supporting and protecting human rights across all segments of society and institutions. Its mission is to instil a human rights culture, promote its practice and safeguard these rights in accordance with local and international laws and principles. He expressed satisfaction with the progress made by the Royal Oman Police in upholding human rights, particularly in services provided to inmates and detainees. During field visits to the central prison, the commission verified that health, educational, legal, sports, training, recreational and hobby-related services met appropriate standards. During the media conference, he discussed the National Human Rights Strategy and monitoring its implementation with all relevant human rights bodies. Developing the strategy requires establishing a comprehensive framework that promotes and protects human rights in the Sultanate of Oman, in accordance with the provisions of the Basic Law of the State, the international conventions and agreements to which Oman has acceded, and applicable laws, as this is the ultimate goal of the Omani Human Rights Commission. During the current year, the committee, as part of the strategy project, organised workshops to analyse the current status of the strategy. These workshops covered a range of fundamental rights, including civil and political rights, economic and social rights, environmental and cultural rights and the freedom to participate in public life. They also focused on vulnerable groups, such as women, children, the elderly and persons with disabilities. The strategy project aligns with the national directives of Oman Vision 2040. Direct coordination was undertaken with the Vision Implementation Follow-up Unit and the Ministry of Economy to ensure the alignment of the strategy with comprehensive development plans. The chairman confirmed that the committee is studying reports and communicating with relevant authorities to address them according to mechanisms that ensure an effective and rapid response. The committee also held a celebration on the occasion of International Human Rights Day under the theme "Pillar of the Nation: Sustainable Steps to Protect and Promote the Rights of Older Persons." The celebration focused on appreciating the role of older persons and their contributions to building society, highlighting Oman's efforts to protect their rights, ensuring their access to necessary services, and enhancing their social standing through legislation and laws that protect them from neglect or abuse. The celebration also aimed to raise community awareness about the rights of older persons and ensure their active participation in various aspects of life. In a statement to the Observer on the progress made by the committee in caring for the elderly in foster families, Dr Rashid said: "Regarding the rights of the elderly in the Sultanate of Oman, the committee visited the elderly centre in the Wilayat of Al Rustaq and organised a special symposium on the services provided to the elderly in which issued a set of recommendations. Oman is distinguished by its policies that preserve the social fabric, and fostering families are one of the measures that preserve society's cohesion and social integrity." Furthermore, the committee conducted a number of field visits to the Central Prison and the detention departments of the Royal Oman Police to assess the services provided to inmates and detainees and ensure that they are provided in accordance with a level befitting human dignity. Within the framework of the 2024 amnesty for inmates, a number of Royal orders were issued ordering the release of a group of inmates from the Central Prison convicted in various cases. The total number of inmates included in the Royal amnesty reached approximately 704 inmates, both citizens and residents. In the area of freedom of expression, the committee noted that Oman has advanced 18 places in the 2024 Press Freedom Index, issued by Reporters Without Borders, compared to 2023. This index assesses 180 countries annually and uses five criteria to assess press freedom, including the political context, the legal framework, the economic context, the social and cultural context and safety. While for the healthcare field, the committee also held several field meetings with institutions working in the field of the right to healthcare, including the Royal Hospital and Khoula Hospital, to discuss challenges and opportunities in improving the quality of services and ensuring accessibility for all, especially persons with disabilities. It also conducted a field visit to the Duqm Industrial Zone, examining the services and labour care provided to workers in the Duqm Special Economic Zone. It examined adherence to protection standards and a suitable work environment, and the general compliance of the facilities used with occupational safety and health measures and international standards for workers' housing. The committee fulfilled its role in protecting and promoting the rights of persons with disabilities. It monitored and studied warning signs for the blind in public places. The committee submitted the results of the study to Muscat Municipality and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, and received a response from Muscat Municipality stating that the study would be taken into account and included in the municipality's future projects. The committee also received a response from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning stating that special standards would be included within the national urban planning standards contained in the outcomes of the National Urban Development Strategy. The study will also be included in the building requirements and specifications guide in the Sultanate of Oman. In the international area, OHRC expressed its observations on the US annual report on the human rights situation in the Sultanate of Oman for 2023. The report addressed a number of issues. The report aimed to verify the topics and reports received and provide the commission's observations on them in accordance with the laws and regulations in force in the Sultanate of Oman, as well as the mechanisms and methods followed by the commission in this regard. Also, it responded to a newspaper article in BBC Africa Eye titled "How a Malawian WhatsApp group helped rescue women trafficked to Oman." The report included cases of more than 50 Malawian women who were trafficked to the Sultanate of Oman to work under conditions resembling slavery. Dr Al Balushi stated that the commission responded to several international governmental and non-governmental reports, including Amnesty International's 2022/2023 Annual Report on human rights in Oman, the US State Department's 2023 Annual Report on human rights in Oman, and its 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report, which assessed Oman's anti-trafficking efforts in 2022. The OHRC is committed to preparing a parallel report submitted to the Arab Charter on Human Rights Committee, following the methodology followed in preparing reports for both the Omani Human Rights Commission and the Arab Charter on Human Rights Committee. In preparing this report, a consultative approach was followed with relevant civil society institutions, stakeholders and partner organisations. During the months of October and November 2024, the Committee met with five civil society institutions related to the topics of the report, namely: the Omani Women's Association, Muscat, the Omani Journalists Association, the General Federation of Oman Workers, the Children First Association, and the Omani Association for Persons with Disabilities.
Observer
17 hours ago
- Observer
HM sends verbal message to Emir of Kuwait
KUWAIT: His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik has sent a verbal message to Shaikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Jaber al Sabah, Emir of the State of Kuwait. The message dealt with the bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to enhance them across all fields. The message was delivered by Sayyid Hamoud bin Faisal al Busaidy, Minister of Interior, when he was received by the Emir at Bayan Palace on Monday. During the meeting, the two sides discussed bilateral relations and explored ways to strengthen them in various areas. The meeting was attended from the Omani side by Maj Gen Khalifa bin Ali al Siyabi, Assistant Inspector General of Police and Customs for Administrative and Financial Affairs, and Dr Saleh bin Amer al Kharousi, Oman's accredited ambassador to Kuwait. From the Kuwaiti side, attendees included Shaikh Fahad Yusuf Saud al Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, along with several other officials from both countries. - ONA
Observer
a day ago
- Observer
Israel faces growing calls to scrap new Gaza plans
CAIRO: Israel's far-right finance minister has demanded Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scrap his plan to seize Gaza City in favour of a tougher one, while Italy said on Sunday the plan could result in a "Vietnam" for Israel's army. Netanyahu's security cabinet, of which the minister, Bezalel Smotrich, is a member, approved the plan by majority to expand military operations in the shattered Palestinian enclave to try to defeat Hamas. The move drew a chorus of condemnation within Israel, where thousands of people protested in Tel Aviv on Saturday, calling for an immediate ceasefire and release of hostages, as well as abroad. The United Nations Security Council was expected to meet to discuss the plan, with many countries expressing concern that it could worsen already acute hunger among Palestinians. The new plan, he said in a video on X late on Saturday, was intended to get Hamas back to ceasefire negotiations. The prime minister and the cabinet have decided to do "more of the same" he said, referring to the fact that Israeli troops have entered the city before and failed to defeat Hamas. He and other far-right members of Netanyahu's coalition argue that the plan does not go far enough while the army, which opposes military rule in Gaza, has warned it would endanger remaining hostages held by Hamas as well as Israeli troops. Smotrich stopped short of delivering a clear ultimatum to Netanyahu. Italy said Israel should heed its army's warnings. "The invasion of Gaza risks turning into a Vietnam for Israeli soldiers," Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said in an interview. He reiterated calls for a United Nations mission to "reunify the Palestinian state" and said Italy was ready to participate. The Security Council is likely to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the prospect of its worsening if the Israeli plan goes ahead but there has so far been little appetite among Arab states to send their troops in. Israel has already come under mounting pressure over widespread hunger and thirst in the enclave, prompting it to announce a series of new measures to ease aid distribution. The Israeli military said on Sunday that the contents of nearly 1,900 aid trucks were distributed last week from the Gaza sides of the Kerem Shalom and Zikim border crossings. A spokesperson was not immediately available to comment on the reported figure but the United Nations has said Gaza needs far more aid to come in. Medics said that a 14-year-old boy was killed by an aid airdrop that fell on a tent encampment in central Gaza. A video, verified by Reuters, that went viral on social media, showed the parachuted aid box falling on the teenager who, among many other desperate Palestinians, was awaiting food. The Gaza government media office said the new death raised the number of people killed during the airdrops to 23 since the war began, almost two years ago. "We have repeatedly warned of the dangers of these inhumane methods and have consistently called for the safe and sufficient delivery of aid through land crossings, especially food, infant formula, medicines and medical supplies," it said. Five more people, including two children, died of malnutrition and starvation in Gaza in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said, taking the number of deaths from such causes to 217, including 100 children. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Palestinians stormed into southern Israel and killed 1,200 people, and took 251 hostages. Israeli authorities say 20 of the remaining 50 hostages in Gaza are alive. Israel's offensive in Gaza has since killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to health officials, and left much of the territory in ruins. Gaza medics said Israeli fire killed at least six Palestinians on Sunday, four of them in an airstrike in Khan Yunis and two more people among crowds seeking aid in central Gaza. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the report.
