The head of the Kuwaiti delegation to the UN office in Geneva, Jamal Al-Ghunaim, was equally pleased with the UN cover. "Al-Ghunaim described the talks with Pillay as very constructive. He added that the talks have tackled a large array of issues including Kuwait's cooperation with the UN Human Rights Council. He stressed that Kuwait's support of the UN Human Rights Council is meant to help put an end to the human rights abuses across the globe and disseminate human rights values."
Kuwait might begin by addressing human rights abuses closer to home. Here is how Kuwait, who is also a member of the UN's top rights body, has been "promoting and raising awareness of human rights", according to the State Department 2012 report on human rights in Kuwait:
- "Principal human rights problems included limitations on citizens' right to change their government; restrictions on freedom of speech and assembly ...security force members abusing prisoners; restrictions on freedom of movement for certain groups...limitations on freedoms of press, association, and religion...
Violence against women continued to be a problem... spousal rape is not a crime. The media reported hundreds of rape cases during the year. Many victims were noncitizen domestic workers. Police occasionally arrested alleged rapists...Laws against rape were not effectively enforced, especially in cases of noncitizen women raped by their employers... The law does not specifically prohibit domestic violence... A woman may petition for divorce based on injury from abuse, but the law does not provide a clear legal standard regarding what constitutes injury. Additionally, a woman must provide at least two male witnesses (or a male witness and two female witnesses) to attest to the injury... The penal code penalizes honor crimes as misdemeanors. The law states that a man who sees his wife, daughter, mother, or sister in the 'act of adultery' and immediately kills her or the man with whom she is committing adultery will face a maximum punishment of three years' imprisonment and a fine of 225 dinars ($810)...
Negative commentary regarding Jews appeared in the media...There was no government response...Reflecting the government's nonrecognition of Israel, there are longstanding official instructions to teachers to expunge from English-language textbooks any references to Israel or the Holocaust."