Bahrain attends review session in Geneva

Geneva, July 4 (BNA): During the second session of the discussion of the report of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights held in Geneva, the Assistant Foreign Minister, Abdullah bin Faisal bin Jabur Al-Doseri, affirmed the success of the reformist approach in establishing a democratic structure for participation in public life, freedom of opinion, expression and assembly, women empowerment politically and economically, achieving comprehensive development, strengthening the factors of unity in society, creating the appropriate environment to support the work of associations, political, trade union, national and professional participation, and recording other achievements in the fields of education, health, communication, information and sustainable development. The Assistant Foreign Minister added that the continuous achievements of the Kingdom of Bahrain confirm its efforts to promote and protect human rights and political and civil liberties, which is a consistent strategic approach in the context of the ongoing reform process of His Majesty the King and the government's efforts to develop and modernize national legislation in accordance with the Constitution and international covenants. The Assistant Foreign Minister also noted that the policies, programs and executive procedures emphasized the importance of launching development projects concerning human rights, such as the Government Action Plan 2015-2018, entitled “Towards Justice, Security and Welfare of Community" which aims at protecting the democratic political system through: achieving comprehensive development, addressing terrorist crimes and combating extremism in all its forms, adopting effective policies, curricula and programs that address hate speech, strengthening the factors of unity in Bahraini society.  The Kingdom is pursuing well-thought out plans and programs targeting the present and future, through the vision of the Kingdom of Bahrain 2030, which was based on the principles of justice, competitiveness and development compatible with the country's experience of democratic and social pioneer. The Assistant Foreign Minister added that freedom of assembly and opinion is guaranteed in the constitution and national legislations without restrictions except the professional and ethical rules stipulated in the constitution, the law and the international press and media conventions whom also prohibit provocative invitations to sectarian or religious, racial or sectarian hatred or threaten national security, public order, infringement of the rights, reputation and dignity of others, violation of public morals or violation of human rights principles The Assistant Foreign Minister pointed out the efforts of the Kingdom of Bahrain to combat trafficking in persons and protect the rights of expatriate workers, according to the site of "Expat Insider" for 2017, which had the Kingdom of Bahrain as the first and most popular destination in the world for expatriates. The report noted that Bahrain is the most suitable place in the world for work and raising a family, adding that it is the best country to make foreigners feel comfortable and welcomed. (MOFA). The Director-General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in the GCC countries also praised the Expat Protection Center and Shelter in the Kingdom of Bahrain and its valuable role in protecting the rights of expatriate workers. He also mentioned the US State Department 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP), which upgrades the Kingdom of Bahrain to Tier 1 status and confirms the Kingdom’s success in fighting this crime and protecting the rights of expatriate workers. At the end of the session, the Assistant Foreign Minister called for greater efforts in validating the sources, correctness and accuracy of the information received by the Committee from organizations or others so that they do not harm the course of human rights development in the Kingdom, in order to achieve the common objectives of the Committee and the Kingdom in promoting respecting and protecting the rights set forth in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. He also stressed that the Kingdom of Bahrain is keen to engage in dialogue with the committee to discuss the report, hoping that the foundation of the dialogue will be based on trust, credibility and building on recent achievements.  The credibility of this dialogue can be confirmed by the non-politicization of human rights for narrow purposes and objectives sought by groups operating outside the framework of legality. We in the Kingdom of Bahrain cherish our heritage, which emphasizes the coexistence and interaction between all components of society away from sectarianism.