Human Rights

The ‘Equality and Leaving No One Behind’ principle is a pillar of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) post-2015. The Kingdom of Bahrain promotes the values of religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence, combating discrimination across all segments of Bahraini society.

The Kingdom takes a firm stance against all forms of discrimination, including gender, race, colour, language, political, sectarian, ethnic and more. It combats all forms of violence and hatred, ensuring everyone is equal under the rule of law.

Respect for human rights is critical for sustainable development. Accordingly, Bahrain is committed to respecting and promoting these rights, as stipulated in its Constitution (PDF, 1773KB, 168 pages) and the National Action Charter (PDF, 337KB, 29 pages), which affirms the rule of law, and the integrity and independence of the judicial system as a basis for governance and justice in the Kingdom.

Bahrain has made great strides in safeguarding and protecting human rights and preserving the dignity of citizens and residents, in accordance with its constitutional and legal frameworks. This is in addition to its commitment to international conventions and treaties related to human rights, which Bahrain was the first Arab country to ratify.

The Kingdom has continued the process of reform and development in accordance with the Constitution and the National Action Charter, while maintaining separation between executive, legislative, and judicial powers. It achieves this through an impartial and independent judiciary, with the Parliament exercising its legislative and oversight functions in line with Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030.

The Kingdom has a comprehensive system to combat different forms of discrimination and their causes, which includes the Ombudsman, the Prisoners and Detainees Rights Commission (PDRC), the Special Investigation Unit, the Independent Inspector General at the Ministry of Interior, the National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR), the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI), the Bahrain Institute for Political Development (BIPD) (Arabic only), the Ministry of Social Development, the National Committee to Combat Trafficking In Persons (NCCTIP), and the Supreme Council for Women (SCW) (Arabic only), which was established to support and empower women and promote equal opportunities in all aspects of working and social life.