The 7th Human Rights Dialogue between the European Union and the Kingdom of Bahrain was held in Brussels on 31 October 2023. During the dialogue, both sides shared information on recent developments in their respective regions. Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining an open and constructive dialogue to address human rights issues.
Discussions covered a variety of topics, including freedom of expression and association, the rule of law, the right to a fair trial, and the death penalty. They also discussed certain individual cases.
The European Union recognized Bahrain’s active commitment to promoting women’s rights, interreligious dialogue and anti-trafficking. The EU encouraged Bahrain to continue its efforts towards these causes and to fulfill its broader human rights obligations, in particular supporting human rights defenders.
The EU also notes the continued implementation of national human rights action plans.
Both sides discussed cooperation in multilateral forums, and the EU came forward to encourage Bahrain to ratify the remaining core international human rights instruments.
The Co-Chairs agreed to hold the next human rights dialogue in Manama in 2024. Bahrain has invited the EU Special Representative for Human Rights to visit the country.