First Dialogue meeting on Human Rights Affairs with US Embassy held

Manama, Oct.7 (BNA): Chief of the Human Rights Affairs Sector Dr. Arwa Hassan Al-Sayed chaired the first dialogue meeting on human rights affairs with the friendly US Embassy in the Kingdom. The meeting was within the framework of ongoing cooperation and coordination between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and brotherly and friendly countries, The first dialogue meetings came while US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Arabian Peninsula Affairs, Daniel Benaim, was on a visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain and was held in the presence of Secretary-General of the Ombudsman, HE Nawaf Mohammed Al-Maawda. During the meeting, a presentation was given on the national human rights plan, which the Higher Coordinating Committee for Human Rights headed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is preparing in cooperation with various stakeholders. Ways of cooperation with the United States in the field of capacity building, technical cooperation and continuous information exchange in the Area of human rights were also discussed. Al-Maawda gave a briefing on the functions and competencies of the Ombudsman and the pioneering procedural steps that the Kingdom of Bahrain witnessed in human rights promotion, law enforcement and enactment of the needed legislation in this regard. Benaim expressed the US interest in holding this type of dialogue because of its positive impact on enhancing cooperation between the two countries, expressing keenness to provide all support in this field and other areas of cooperation between the two friendly countries. The meeting was attended by US Embassy Chargé d'affaires HE Mrs. Margaret Nardi and a number of officials from the Ombudsman, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US Embassy in Manama.