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US government praises UAE’s human rights record

DUBAI - The UAE is seeing continuous improvement and progress in human rights record, especially in combating human trafficking, according to the US embassy.

After a coordination meeting with Dubai Police officials, Suzanne Radent, in-charge of political affairs at the American embassy in Abu Dhabi, said constant progress was being seen in improvement in human rights record in the UAE, particularly in the field of human trafficking, in which the country has taken big strides in fighting and in coordinating with countries that are suffering this menace in order to curb the phenomenon.

The US official met police officers from the Human Rights Administration of Dubai Police General Directorate of Moral Guidance, including Colonel Abdullah Mohammed Hasan Al Majid, Assistant-Director for Airport Passport Affairs and the Free Zone in the Immigration and Residency Administration in Dubai, Lieutenant-Colonel Mohammed Abdullah Al Murr, Director of the Human Rights Administration, and a number of public prosecution representatives and police officers representing various police sections. Also attending the meeting was First Lieutenant Ahmed Obaid Yosuf, head of a special unit in charge of combating trade in humans at the CID in Dubai.

Radent said her government was comfortable with the big steps and rapid changes adopted by Dubai Police in cooperating in the field in human rights fields in line with international measures and procedures.

She said many countries in the world were subjected to economic and political sanctions because of human rights violations in those countries.

She said that the UAE was not listed among those countries and there were not any negative reports from any international body dealing with human rights about the UAE.

The US embassy official said she had seen reports from legal and security agencies like the Human Rights Administration in Dubai Police, which showed that officials at the human rights unit in Dubai Police deal objectively with complaints and take all legal measures in relation to these complaints. Colonel Abdullah Mohammed reviewed the legal procedures adopted by the Immigration and Residency Administration to prevent human trafficking. He said the administration offers its services inside and outside the UAE as it provides other nations with information on passport forgers using UAE airports as transit points. It also provides reports to other countries on counterfeiting of birth certificate and the use of the underage people in illegal activities. He warned companies using legal licences to carry out illegal activities.

He said companies found to have been involved in illegal activities would immediately lose their licences. He added that quite a number of companies had already lost their licences.

Lt-Col. Al Murr said he was honoured by the achievements realised so far by the Human Rights Administration of Dubai Police.

He said more work was also expected of the recently established Human Rights Council in Dubai.

He said the council was receiving impressive cooperation from security, legal and judicial authorities in the country and abroad.

Lt-Col Al Murr said human rights scope had also been extended to include offering assistance to the needy. He said some prison inmates serving jail terms in manslaughter cases were helped, in cooperation with local and official agencies, to be released after payment of blood money to victims.

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