The Assistant Foreign Minister for Human Rights Affairs, Ambassador Sheikha Jawaher Ibrahim Al-Duaij Al-Sabah emphasized Kuwait's pivotal role in supporting initiatives that promote human rights and strengthening Gulf, regional, and international cooperation in this regard. This came in her speech at the 50th Conference of the International Organization for Women Empowerment and Capacity Building (IWECBO), Empower, which commenced on Sunday under the patronage of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Sheikha Jawaher highlighted Kuwait's continued commitment to human rights in the conference with was being held at the Sabah Al-Salem University Conference Center, in collaboration with Kuwait University's College of Social Sciences and the IWECBO. She noted that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' sponsorship of the conference reflects its ongoing dedication to promoting human rights principles and fostering constructive dialogue on how to advance these rights both locally and regionally. She reiterated Kuwait's cen tral role in disseminating human rights culture and enhancing cooperation on the Gulf, regional, and international levels. The conference addressed the key challenges to implementing human rights standards in the region, while highlighting local and regional initiatives to promote these rights, and gathered a distinguished group of experts, academics, and researchers from the GCC and Arab countries, along with representatives from civil society organizations and international human rights bodies. Sheikha Jawaher also pointed to Kuwait's firm belief in the importance of advancing human rights and its ongoing commitment to building a society that upholds human dignity and safeguards individual rights. Kuwait's recent election to the UN Human Rights Council with 183 votes underscores the country's transparent and comprehensive application of human rights standards. The two-day conference would discuss current challenges facing human rights in the region and explore innovative solutions to strengthen regional cooperation. Sheikha Jawaher noted that as part of its membership in the Human Rights Council, Kuwait has made 11 pledges, including enhancing children's rights through free education and healthcare programs, improving labor conditions for expatriate workers, and advancing women's rights and empowerment in the economic and social sectors. These efforts align with Kuwait's Vision 2035, which aims to build a just and equal society. Dr. Ali Al-Zoubi, Acting Dean of the College of Social Sciences at Kuwait University, also spoke at the event, expressing gratitude to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its active role in advancing community initiatives related to human rights. He emphasized that the conference supports significant GCC and Arab regional initiatives and aims to develop practical frameworks to overcome human rights challenges in both governmental and non-governmental sectors. Source: Kuwait News Agency