Permanent Representative: Bahrain continues its pioneering initiatives in protecting, promoting human rights

Geneva, Sept. 16 (BNA): The delegation of the Kingdom of Bahrain, led by the Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, Ambassador Dr. Yusuf Abdulkarim Bucheeri, made a statement within the framework of the public debate on the oral update of the High Commissioner for Human Rights report, under Item (2) of the 45th session of the Human Rights Council agenda, held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva from September 14 to October 6, 2020. In his statement, the Permanent Representative expressed thanks to the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, for her oral update and shedding light on the most important contemporary challenges facing all of humanity, foremost among which is the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Ambassador stressed the need for countries to raise the levels of preparedness for pandemics, and to invest in a healthier and safer future, and the importance of adopting policies and measures to confront the challenges resulting from the emerging Covid-19 pandemic in line with international standards, and as called for by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as the recommendations of the World Health Organisation in this regard. He also affirmed that the Kingdom of Bahrain continues its pioneering initiatives in the field of protecting and promoting human rights, and implementing its voluntary commitments in accordance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the recommendations that the Kingdom received during the Universal Periodic Review, as the first stages of preparing the National Human Rights Action Plan were launched in August of this year through holding a number of workshops in cooperation with relevant national, international and regional bodies, and with the broad participation of stakeholders. In this context, the Permanent Representative thanked the Office of the High Commissioner for the efforts made in supporting Bahrain through the participation of the Regional Representative of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for the Middle East and North Africa in the recent workshop on “The Role of the Media, the Press and the National Action Plan for Human Rights”, which confirms the relentless efforts of the High Commissioner in providing technical assistance to countries with the aim of promoting and strengthening the human rights system. Ambassador Bucheeri also stated that the Human Rights Council has an important responsibility towards encouraging cooperation and solidarity among states, free from politicization, selectivity and interference in their internal affairs, with the aim of creating a united international front in facing the crises and challenges facing humanity now and in the future.