Last week, the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) undersecretaries for social development met in Kuwait to discuss key developments and ongoing challenges to social development within the region. Kuwaiti Undersecretary of Social Affairs Dr. Khaled al-Ajmi was quoted as saying, “Development is an ongoing mission, embodied in caring for the family, empowering youth, embracing the elderly, and supporting the most needy groups so that Gulf society maintains its leading position among nations”. Unfortunately, Dr. al-Ajmi’s comments do not fully represent the ongoing situation in the GCC.
Care for the Family
Families within the GCC are subject to various legislation that may leave them stateless; meaning they no longer are considered to be a national of the country in which they reside. Depriving an individual of a nationality is against international law. Yet, many States within the regions continue this practice. Becoming stateless leads to problems such as being denied access to state-funded programs. Furthermore, women face a harder time conferring their citizenship status onto their children, leading to an uncertain future for many families in the region.
Empowering Youth
The youth of the GCC are routinely imprisoned within GCC countries. Once imprisoned, these young detainees are subjected to psychological and physical torture. In extreme cases, such as in Saudi Arabia, authorities are known to arbitrarily execute detainees for crimes committed as children. The GCC continues to deprive many youths of their freedoms through lengthy and dubious incarcerations.
Embracing the Elderly and Supporting the Needy
Undoubtedly the elderly and migrants are two of the most at risk demographic groups of any country. Both the elderly and migrants face unique problems in many GCC countries. The elderly face uneven access to public healthcare services based on nationality. The prison conditions of the GCC are often below international standards. These conditions can be hazardous to elderly detainees.
Non-citizens of all ages face discrimination within the GCC. Working conditions for migrants within the GCC are often abhorrent. The controversial kafala sponsorship program enables most of the abuse of migrant workers. Under the program, workers are often excluded from worker’s rights laws and other protections while simultaneously being subjected to restrictive measures.
Conclusion
The touted successes found at the meeting of the undersecretaries does not represent the reality of the situation in the GCC. Families face statelessness, youth face imprisonment, and the needy are often abused and excluded. The undersecretaries and the GCC as a whole must make a concerted effort to improve the social environment for all within the GCC.