Arab Network Magazine 2021-E-Version

Activities & Events
NIHR organizes a Round Table entitled “Bahraini Experience
and its Role in Promoting and Protecting Expatriate Workers’
Rights in light of Coronavirus Pandemic
particular.
The National Institution for
Human Rights (NIHR) organized a
round table titled, “The Bahraini
Experience and its Role in Promoting
and Protecting Expatriate
Workers Rights in light of the
Coronavirus Pandemic,” by video
conference, in order to shed light
on the effect of Coronavirus (Covid-19)
on expatriate workers and
the efforts and solidarity of the
concerned bodies and authorities
in the Kingdom of Bahrain to
address it in line with Bahrain’s
advanced position in protecting
human rights in general and the
right to health for all in particular.
The event was attended by representatives
of the relevant ministries,
authorities and institutions,
in addition to a number of
relevant civil society institutions.
Moderated by Dr. Bader
Mohamed Adel, Head of the NIHR
Committee on General Rights and
Freedoms and Member of the
NIHR Council of Commissioners,
the event addressed the role of
the NIHR in light of the Coronavirus
pandemic and its impact on
expatriate workers was
addressed, and explained the
efforts made by the relevant
authorities in the Kingdom of
Bahrain in this regard. The session
further addressed the regulations
relating to workers housing and
the conditions that must be met in
the future to avoid overcrowding
and create an appropriate healthy
environment.
Shedding light on the impact
of the Corona pandemic on
expatriate workers
The event shed light on the most
important challenges facing expatriate
workers with the spread of
the Coronavirus (Covid-19), and
discussed the best ways to
activate partnership with official
bodies and the relevant civil society
organizations, in addition to
the relationship between precautionary
measures taken and the
exercise of human rights in general
and expatriate workers rights in
The round table event hosted by
the NIHR concluded with a
number of recommendations and
proposals aimed at finding
solutions to the challenges facing
expatriate workers in light of the
Coronavirus pandemic, such as
monitoring their conditions and
raising their awareness and
perception of their basic rights
and freedoms, in addition to the
importance of conducting
surveys and field studies on the
most affected sectors and workers.
On the sidelines of the event, Ms.
Maria Khoury, Chairperson of the
NIHR, appreciated the great measures
and efforts undertaken by
the Kingdom of Bahrain to
combat this pandemic, through
which it observed human rights in
general for citizens and residents
alike without any discrimination
on the basis of race, color, sex,
language or religion. She also
noted the NIHR’s role in following-up
the precautionary measures
to prevent the spread of the
Coronavirus and their impact on
the exercise of human rights. Ms.
Khoury took mention of the field
visits to the housing of expatriate
workers to ensure that the conditions
of living and the quality of
accommodation reflect the extent
of the application of precautionary
measures, confirming at the
same time the NIHR’s readiness to
engage all relevant parties,
provide assistance and exchange
expertise, for everybody’s access
to all human rights.
32 Arab Network Magazine