Manama, 7 July 2022 (TDI): The Foreign Ministry of Bahrain held a workshop on the periodic review of human rights in coordination with the UN Human Rights Council.
The specialized workshop was held in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The workshop took place in cooperation with the Office of the United Nations resident Coordinator in Bahrain.
The country’s coordinator of the universal periodic human rights review and representatives of the relevant government agencies were in attendance.
Mohammad Abu Harthiya, UN Expert, and Dr. Arwa Hassan Al-Sayed, Head of Human Rights at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also presided over the specialized workshop.
As a result, Dr. Arwa Hassan Al-Sayed in her speech highlighted the Kingdom’s efforts to promote cooperation with the UN bodies.
In addition, she noted the Kingdom’s interest in exchanging experiences with the UN Human Rights Council and the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bahrain, Khaled El Mekwad, was also in attendance. El Mekwad praised the efforts of the Kingdom in promoting and safeguarding human rights.
The Resident Coordinator also stressed the importance of periodic review workshops in exchanging experiences between government agencies and UN special agencies.
The exchange of experience and expertise can guide the Kingdom in promoting human rights according to best international practices.
Bahrain’s Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a special process introduced by the UN Human Rights Council. It involves the periodic review of human rights records.
Moreover, the periodic review is done under equal treatment for all UN member states. It is also conducted by the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review Working Group.
This year’s workshop marked the third periodic review of the Kingdom. The first and second reviews took place in April 2008 and May 2012, respectively.
The periodic reviews are based on the following:
- Information contained in the reports of independent human rights expert groups, and
- Information provided by other stakeholders, including national human rights institutions, regional organizations, and civil society.
