UAE–EU Working Group on Human Rights stresses importance of strengthening cooperation in the field of human rights

The UAE-EU Working Group on Human Rights held its 10th meeting virtually on 9 June 2021. The meeting aimed to review important developments and exchange information and best practices in the field of human rights. 
 
During the meeting, a number of topics of mutual interest were discussed, including labor rights, women’s rights, freedom of expression, the rule of law, contributions of artificial intelligence in the field of human rights, and coordination between the UAE and European Union through committees and United Nations mechanisms.  
 
The UAE delegation was led by His Excellency Saeed Al Habsi, Director of the Human Rights Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC), and included representatives from the Ministry of Justice, Ministry  of Human Resources and Emiratization, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Tolerance and Coexistence, the Office of the Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, the Cybersecurity Council, Gender Balance Council, the Human Rights Department at MoFAIC, the Permanent Mission of the UAE to the UN in Geneva, and the UAE Embassy in Brussels.  
 
The EU delegation was led H.E. Gabriel Munuera Viñals, Head of the Arabian Peninsula and Iraq Division at the European External Action Service, and included H.E. Andrea Matteo Fontana, EU Ambassador to the UAE, and other representatives of the European Union. 
 
The meeting came within the framework of initiatives launched in 2013 by His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, to raise awareness of the UAE’s achievements in the human rights field with its EU partners.