Work environment guidelines okayed for govt departments

The Council of Ministers on Monday approved the guidelines aimed at improving work environment at all government departments and agencies. Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman chaired the weekly session of the Cabinet at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah on Monday night, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Minister of State, Member of the Cabinet and Acting Minister of Culture and Information Dr. Essam Bin Saad said in a statement that the Cabinet took this decision after reviewing a report presented by the Minister of Civil Service.

The Council instructed to circulate the guidelines to all government departments in order to improve work environment at their workplaces in line with the guidelines. Each government agency has to implement the guidelines in a phased manner on the basis of the budgetary allocations for it. The government agencies, which came into being recently, have to implement provisions of the guidelines in whatever way possible for them.

Dr. Essam said the Cabinet also approved establishment of King Abdulaziz Complex for Endowment Libraries. The Madinah-based complex will have a board of trustees, headed by emir of Madinah. The complex, which enjoys financial and administrative independence, is linked to the Prime Minister at the organizational level. Its aims at preserving endowment libraries and serving them through carrying out researches and studies and encourage scientific research in its designated areas. The goals of the complex also include preserving rare collections and showcase them at museums with maintaining top international standards, and contribute to highlight the manuscripts of Arab and Islamic culture and heritage. The Council approved including the penalty of naming and shaming among the punitive measures for violation of certain regulations, including those of livestock, fishing, and beekeeping. The Cabinet also endorsed the agreement signed with Sweden to avoid double taxation and prevent tax evasion.

Dr. Essam said the Cabinet emphasized the need to bring war criminals in Syria to international justice. It called on the international community to unify positions and take practical steps to stop the bloodshed of innocent people and protect children and women from the atrocities being committed by Bashar al-Assad’s regime and affiliated terrorist militias that led to the killing of more than 300,000 people.

At the outset of the session, the minister said, the Cabinet pledged the Kingdom’s support for all judicial measures taken by Bahrain to fight extremism and terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. It vowed Saudi Arabia’s solidarity and backing for the measures taken to preserve the security, stability and safety of its citizens and to safeguard Bahrain’s unity and social cohesion.

On the occasion of the start of the 32nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Cabinet reiterated the Kingdom’s call on the international community to take action to stop the racist Israeli practices in the occupied Palestinian territories. While stressing the need to put an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people due to the Israeli rights violations through the systematic murder, torture, siege and destruction of property and acts of Judaization of Jerusalem, the Council called for activating the international initiatives to achieve the aspirations of the Palestinian people and to hold Israel accountable for their heinous war crimes.