Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The European Union and the Kingdom of Bahrain held their seventh dialogue on human rights in Brussels yesterday, Tuesday. According to a statement distributed in Brussels, the two sides exchanged information about the latest developments in the European Union and in Bahrain, and affirmed their mutual commitment to continuing open and constructive dialogue for joint action. Address challenges and exchange experiences and best practices regarding the human rights situation.
The dialogue covered a wide range of topics, such as freedom of expression and association, the rule of law, the right to a fair trial, including some individual cases, and the death penalty.
The European Union welcomed the progress made by Bahrain in the field of women's rights, as well as ongoing efforts to promote interfaith dialogue and combat human trafficking. The European Union encouraged Bahrain to continue on this path, and to maintain its broader human rights obligations, especially with regard to human rights defenders. The European Union also noted ongoing efforts to implement the National Human Rights Action Plan. Cooperation was also discussed in multilateral forums. The European Union encouraged Bahrain to ratify the remaining core international human rights instruments.
The participants agreed to hold the next human rights dialogue in Manama in 2024. Bahrain reiterated its invitation to the European Union Special Representative for Human Rights to visit the country.