UN Authority Figures

UN Development Programme (UNDP)
Executive Board: Saudi Arabia

A disabled 23-year-old man was sentenced to death for participating in anti-government protests and was expected to be decapitated. Photo: Protesters against Saudi Arabia performing a mock beheading.
Source: Breitbart News, January 3, 2017

Mission of the UN Development Programme: "UNDP works in nearly 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion... UNDP focuses on helping countries build and share solutions in three main areas: Sustainable development; Democratic governance and peacebuilding; Climate and disaster resilience." (UN Development Programme website, "Overview")

Term of office: 2018-2020

Saudi Arabia's Record on "democratic governance and peacebuilding":
"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a monarchy ruled by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, who is both head of state and head of government. The government bases its legitimacy on its interpretation of sharia (Islamic law) and the 1992 Basic Law, which specifies that the rulers of the country shall be male descendants of the founder, King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud... The most important human rights problems reported included citizens' lack of the ability and legal means to choose their government; restrictions on universal rights, such as freedom of expression, including on the internet, and the freedoms of assembly, association, movement, and religion... Other human rights problems reported included: a lack of judicial independence and transparency that manifested itself in denial of due process and arbitrary arrest and detention;... investigating, detaining, prosecuting, and sentencing lawyers, human rights activists, and antigovernment reformists; holding political prisoners... Lack of governmental transparency and access made it difficult to assess the magnitude of many reported human rights problems."
(U.S. State Department's Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2016, Saudi Arabia)

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