29-03-2025
- Politics
- Bahrain News Gazette
Foreign Ministry Conducts Second Workshop on National Human Rights Plan (2027-2031)
Manama: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held the second workshop on the development of the National Human Rights Plan (2027-2031), attended by Osama bin Ahmed Khalaf Al Asfoor, Minister of Social Development. The event, conducted via videoconference, included officials and representatives of relevant ministries and entities part of the National Human Rights Committee. Ambassador Dr. Arwa Hassan Al Sayed, Chief of the Human Rights Affairs Sector at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, moderated the workshop.
According to Bahrain News Agency, participants included Bahrain's diplomatic and consular corps abroad, ambassadors of accredited countries to the Kingdom of Bahrain, representatives of UN offices, and civil society organisations. During the opening session, the Minister of Social Development expressed pride in the progress made by national institutions and civil society organisations in protecting and promoting human rights in Bahrain. He credited these achievements to the vision of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the guidance of the government led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. He also highlighted the significant role played by civil society in strengthening human rights.
Introductory remarks were delivered by Ambassador Dr. Yousef Abdulkarim Bucheeri, Director General of Legal Affairs and Human Rights at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GGC). The first session, focusing on the role of civil society through partnerships, featured contributions from Ali Ahmed Al Derazi, President of the National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR); Fiona Walker, Deputy Head of Mission of the United Kingdom to Bahrain; and Amina Al Jassim, Acting Director of the NGOs Directorate at the Ministry of Social Development.
The second session addressed the role of civil society in protecting and promoting the rights of various groups, with remarks by Dr. Houria Abbas Al Dairi, Member of the Board of Commissioners and Commissioner for Child Rights; Dr. Farid Ghazi from Mabade'a Society for Human Rights; Ahlam Ahmed Rajab from the Bahrain Women Union; Yaqoub Yousef Mohammed from the General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions; Adel Sultan Al Mutawa from the Bahrain Mobility International Centre; and Mona Almoayyed from the Migrant Workers Protection Society.
The third session examined the importance of civil society engagement at the local, regional, and international levels, featuring contributions from Dr. Abduljabbar Al Tayeb from the Bahrain Jurists Society; Mohsen Ali Al Ghurairi from the Bahrain Observatory for Human Rights; Faisal Fulad from the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society; and Ahmed Al Hajeri from the Bahrain Human Rights Society. The workshop concluded with a discussion on proposals and recommendations to further enhance the active role of civil society organisations in Bahrain.
