The UAE-European Human Rights Dialogue discusses labor rights and combating human trafficking

The Emirati-European Dialogue for Human Rights held its 13th meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abu Dhabi, where the most important developments and efforts made were reviewed, information and experiences were exchanged, and best practices in the UAE and the European Union in the field of human rights.

During the meeting, a number of issues of common interest were discussed, the most important of which were labor rights, women’s rights, freedom of expression, the rule of law, combating human trafficking, digital technology and human rights, and coordination at the level of United Nations human rights bodies, mechanisms and committees.

The UAE delegation to the meeting was headed by the Director of the Human Rights Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Saeed Al Habsi, in addition to the participation of the Ministry’s Strategic Communications Department, and representatives from the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, and the Communications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority, while the European Union delegation was headed by the Head of the Arabian Peninsula and Iraq Division at the External Action Authority, Anna Maria Panagiotakopoulou.

Al Habsi stressed that the UAE welcomes such constructive dialogues and discussions with its partners, as they represent an opportunity to review the country’s efforts and the progress made in the field of human rights, noting that the UAE continues to build bridges through dialogue and cooperation with strategic partners in this field, through training programs and the exchange of experiences and best practices in promoting and protecting human rights.

For its part, the European side praised the continuous progress made by the UAE in the field of human rights, especially with regard to the issue of women’s empowerment and its role in promoting security and peace. It also praised the UAE and the European Union officially launching the negotiation process on the strategic partnership agreement.