The impact of the UN human rights system and human rights INGOs on the Saudi Government with special reference to the spiral model

Abstract

This article assesses the impact of the UN human rights system and human rights NGOs in Saudi Arabia. In doing so, it applies the spiral model, which seeks to clarify the impacts of transnational human rights networks on states. It assesses the usefulness of the model's five phases as an explanation of the changes in the Saudi government's human rights practices from 1990 to early 2011. In order to assess the impacts of international human rights pressures on Saudi Arabia, the article investigates women's rights. It argues that human rights INGOs, aided with advocacies resulting from the UN human rights system, in particular UN treaty-based bodies, will lead to more concessions and adaptations to new norms.