HRC42 Written Statement: Kuwait’s UPR: Systematic Human Rights violations and the ongoing targeting of the Bidoon.

Ahead of the 42nd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain (ADHRB) submitted a written statement to the Council to raise concerns over Kuwait’s human rights violations, especially against bidoon and stateless persons’ rights, and its upcoming third cycle Universal Periodic Review (UPR). Continue reading below for the[…]

Kuwait’s Bidoon Targeted by Security Officials

In recent months, the Kuwaiti government has amped up its targeting and harassment of its bidoon population – a stateless Arab minority. Kuwait is home to over 100,000 bidoon who face hurdles accessing government documentation, employment opportunities, healthcare, and education. In 1986, the Kuwaiti government branded the bidoon population as “illegal residents,” despite most being[…]

Kuwait’s Bidoon Population at Increased Risk of Human Rights Abuses

Bidoon – meaning ‘without’ in Arabic – is used to categorize a portion of Kuwait’s population who are ‘without’ nationality. Kuwait’s bidoon are largely made up of nomadic Arab tribes that were residing in Kuwait around the time the country gained independence in 1961 and were unable to register for citizenship, either due to lack[…]

Bidoon women may face greater risk due to lack of state-sponsored healthcare protections

On 9 March 2017, the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) held a panel discussion on preventable maternal mortality and morbidity as a human rights priority for all states. In the dialogue that ensued, speakers and organizations spoke of healthcare as a human right, and sharply criticized policies and practices around the world that contribute to[…]

HRC 34 Oral Interventions: Panel Discussion on Access to Medicines

On 8 March 2017, ADHRB’s Research Associate Sam Jones delivered an oral intervention at the 34th session of the Human Rights Council. He participated in the Panel Discussion on Access to Medicines, delivering an oral intervention highlighting the specific trouble Bidoon populations in the Gulf encounter when attempting to access healthcare. Additionally, Jones raised the Bahraini[…]