A/HRC/11/23 Page 3 Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 of 18 June 2007, held its fourth session from 2 to 13 February 2009. The review of Saudi Arabia was held at the 9th meeting on 6 February 2009. The delegation of Saudi Arabia was headed by Dr. Zaid bin Abdul Muhsin Al-Husain. At its meeting held on 10 February 2009, the Working Group adopted the present report on Saudi Arabia. 2. On 8 September 2008, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of Saudi Arabia: Germany, Madagascar and Qatar. 3. In accordance with paragraph 15 of the annex to resolution 5/1, the following documents were issued for the review of Saudi Arabia: (a) A national report submitted / written presentation made in accordance with paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/4/SAU/1); (b) A compilation prepared by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), in accordance with paragraph 15 (b) (A/HRC/WG.6/4/SAU/2); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR, in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/4/SAU/3). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Sweden was transmitted to Saudi Arabia through the troika. These questions are available on the extranet of the UPR. I. SUMMARY OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE REVIEW PROCESS A. Presentation by the State under review 5. Saudi Arabia stated that the principles of the Universal Periodic Review of human rights coincide with the principles of its faith, including Almighty God’s precept to cooperate in righteousness and piety: “Help one another in righteousness and piety, but do not help one another in sin and transgression”. 6. The UPR process is comprehensive and consistent with the Islamic principle of calling oneself to account, since it is a process of self-assessment and an appropriate means to present a true picture that will help States to evaluate the human rights situation in a country’s territory, All the governmental authorities and civil-society institutions in the Kingdom were involved in the preparation of the report 7. The concept of religious and cultural particularities as correctly viewed in Islam, supplement rather than detract from international human rights standards. 8. However, many labour, under the possibly excusable misconception that the Kingdom focuses on duties at the expense of rights by virtue of its adoption of the Islamic Shari’a as its Constitution. The contrary is true insofar as the basic concept in Islam is “the rights of the