Boosting human rights advocacy

His Majesty King Abdullah Sunday received the annual report of the National Centre for Human Rights for 2015, in which the centre outlined the achievements and challenges faced in promoting and protecting human rights in the country.

His Majesty called for building upon the achievements attained in the field of human rights and for boosting public awareness of the issue, and stressed the importance of using the recommendations of the centre to deliver justice and ensure equality for all.

At the same time, the King urged cooperation between the centre and the government, both to improve the human rights situation in the country and to accelerate the implementation of the Comprehensive National Plan for Human Rights 2016-2025, recently adopted by the government and all those involved in the field of human rights.

The centre monitors the human rights situation in the country with impartiality and in accordance with the best international practices in the field.

The commissioner general at the centre said that one of the greatest challenges facing freedom of expression and free press is, allegedly, the lack of clear legislation on the definition of what constitutes a threat to national security.

The government maintains that existing laws are sufficient to decide when freedom of expression and freedom of the press are abused, but it might be a good idea to discuss any ambiguity, if indeed it exists, and have clear red lines.

National security has become a major concern for our country — as it is for many other nations in the world — which is surrounded by many regional conflicts whose spillover effects cannot be easily dismissed.

Public security and stability are major human rights that must not be violated.

That should be the line that is easily understood and respected by everybody.