The UAE is making significant advancements on many fronts, it made one on the Human Rights recently.
On February 21, 2023, a high-level panel discussion on Human Rights in the United Arab Emirates was held in Geneva. Thirteen international human rights groups with advisory capacity with the United Nations launched the Shadow Report for UAE submitted for the 43rd Session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The session was broadcast via Zoom, and international legal experts participated in it, as well as the meeting websites, through which officials from the participating organizations took part in preparing the report.
The session included experts and specialists in the field of human rights, especially the universal periodic review mechanism, representing a wide spectrum of relevant government sectors, national human rights institutions and international organizations. The discussion also included a number of media professionals specialized in media and human rights issues, and a group of academics and representatives of centers studies, research, thought and opinion.
The experts in the panel discussion came from many well-known international organizations and had years of experience under their belt. A number of international experts at the discussion also came from the field of human rights, and leaders of international human rights organizations with consultative status at the United Nations.
The session was moderated by Dr. Cristine Mirre from CAP Conscience et liberte and Ayman Nasry from Arab European Forum for Dialogue and Human Rights introduced the universal periodic review mechanism and the contributions of non-governmental organizations to it, and the importance of the report in promoting the universal periodic review of the state in the 43rd session.
Dr. Manel Msalmi from the European Association for The Defense of Minorities highlighted the efforts and achievements of the UAE in the field of Economic, Social cultural and environmental rights. Various other speakers from renowned organizations from around the world also highlighted the importance of human rights and strives made in the area by UAE. The session also included a discussion with Mahmoud Bassiouni, Member of the Egyptian National Council for Human Rights, highlighting the use of the media to undermine the human rights achievements. The session concluded with an open discussion on the importance of media.
The UAE's human rights report was discussed at the meetings of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in May as part of the forty-third periodic assessment.
The panel discussion provided a unique opportunity to understand the achievements of the UAE in fulfilling its human rights obligations – which get undermined in the 24/7 global media cycle. Participants got a chance to understand the issues, challenges, and gains made in the UAE through thoughtful discussions by experts with evidence-based analysis on the subject.
To have a look on the shadow report, please click this link.
This article was written in cooperation with Dr. Edy Cohen