The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:
The Secretary-General welcomes recent announcements by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, His Majesty King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, including notably those granting women in Saudi Arabia, for the first time, the right to vote and stand in municipal elections — as well as to become members of the Shura Council. The Secretary-General believes that these represent an important step in the realization by women in Saudi Arabia of their fundamental civil and political rights.
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