U.S. Mission to International
Organizations in Geneva

The United States welcomes the delegation from Oman.

We recommend that Oman:

1. Amend criminal defamation provisions in the penal code as well as the Cybercrime Law and the Civil Societies Law to increase respect for fundamental freedoms including freedom of expression, on and off-line.
2. Enact reforms to end the kafala employment sponsorship system.
3. Amend the labor law to extend protections such as a minimum wage and maximum working hours to domestic workers.

We commend Oman’s decision enabling expatriate workers to change jobs without permission after completing their contracts. We encourage Oman to continue to advance reforms to counter trafficking in persons and equal rights for women, including the right to transmit nationality to their children on an equal basis with men. We further encourage the repeal of laws used to punish blasphemy, including Article 209.