NEW YORK: Saudi Arabia has affirmed its commitment to women’s rights and said that advancing their role locally, regionally and globally is a top priority for the Kingdom’s leaders. Speaking at the closing statement during the 65th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the UN headquarters in New York, Mona Saleh Al-Ghamdi, a member of Saudi Arabia’s delegation, said that the Kingdom sought to enhance women’s roles in social development through empowering them to participate in decision-making processes in all government and private sectors socially, economically and politically. In her opening statement, Al-Ghamdi thanked the officers of the 65th session and the delegations for their efforts to achieve consensus throughout the five-week negotiation period of the final document of the year. This focused on the full and effective participation of women, their decision-making in public life, the elimination of violence against them, and the achievement of gender equality and empowerment for women and girls. Al-Ghamdi said that the Saudi delegation participated in the negotiations consistently and constructively. It was also keen to achieve consensus whenever possible and in a way that did not conflict with Islamic law, regulations and national principles. She confirmed the delegation’s interest in coming up with a document that reinforced the progress of historical reforms the Kingdom continued to achieve under the leadership of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. “The leadership considers women as active members in all areas of national development,” she said. “She is the fundamental core of the family and society, as well as a key member in achieving Saudi Vision 2030 that reinforced reforms in the status of women and their empowerment to easily perform their national duties.”