United Nations in Bahrain

The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. With 21 United Nations Entities represented in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the work of the United Nations encompasses all 17 SDGs.

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13 December 2024

On Human Rights Day, a UN-facilitated Workshop Highlights Human Rights in Artificial Intelligence

"Human rights must be placed at the core of AI", Acting Resident Coordinator in the Kingdom of Bahrain Ahmed Ben Lassoued said during a symposium on "Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights" organised Thursday by Bahrain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to mark Human Rights Day (10 December), in cooperation with the United Nations International Telecommunication Union Middle East Office.Ben Lassoued affirmed that globally coordinated AI governance is the only way to harness AI for humanity's benefit while addressing the associated risks and challenges, stressing the role of the United Nations, including fostering digital collaboration, supporting the global exchange of best practices, building capacity in AI, and safeguarding human rights within and through AI."The United Nations Charter and international law serve as valuable foundations for the United Nations' work in promoting cooperation in artificial intelligence, including adjusting frameworks and leading global discussions on this vital issue."The new United Nations Strategic Cooperation Framework between the United Nations and the Government of Bahrain for 2025-2029 highlights the country's advancements in digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and financial inclusion as pivotal opportunities to drive progress across multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).By strategically leveraging these key enablers, the framework will seek to accelerate SDG implementation, strongly emphasising integrating youth as active contributors to the development process.The symposium was organised in partnership with the International Telecommunications Union's Regional Office for the Arab States. It enabled a productive exchange with partners from the Government of Bahrain, the United Nations, and the Civil Society to develop frameworks and guidelines safeguarding human rights within and through AI.Mr Adel Darwish, ITU Regional Director for the Arab States, addressed opportunities and risks related to artificial intelligence, highlighting the efforts of the ITU and the United Nations in increasing awareness of artificial intelligence and how to use it optimally, in addition to shedding light on the ethical and legal frameworks in this regard.

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02 December 2024

The UN in Bahrain Holds a Leadership Engagement Session on Disability Inclusion

On the eve of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, observed on 3rd December, the United Nations Country Team in Bahrain conducted an internal leadership engagement session on Monday dedicated to streamlining disability inclusion in the work of the United Nations in Bahrain. "At the United Nations in Bahrain, we recognise the need for participation, representation and inclusion of persons with disabilities at all levels, and their right to shape the conditions of their lives actively," said the United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Khaled El Mekwad. "The need to include persons with disabilities is more apparent now than ever. The complete realisation of the human rights of all persons with disabilities is an inalienable, integral and indivisible part of universal human rights and fundamental freedoms," he said, highlighting the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy.The strategy provides the foundation for sustainable and transformative progress on disability inclusion through all pillars of the work of the United Nations. The session underscored the importance of inclusion not only in policies affecting persons with disabilities but in all areas of the United Nations. Representatives from UN entities in Bahrain, attending virtually and in person, reflected on the various initiatives undertaken to strengthen the participation and leadership of persons with disabilities, including training programmes and forging partnerships to integrate and promote disability inclusion.The session also emphasized Bahrain's pioneering role in including persons with disabilities, underscoring that the Kingdom was one of the first countries to sign the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2007 (acceded in 2011). The United Nations and Bahrain have a long-standing cooperation in disability inclusion, including designing and implementing the Action Plan of the National Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2022-2026), launched by the Government in 2023.The theme of the 2024 celebration is Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future. The leadership of persons with disabilities is epitomised by the global disability rights movement's slogan, "Nothing About Us Without Us". It connotes the basic requirements of participation, representation, and inclusion and calls for persons with disabilities to shape their living conditions actively."Persons with disabilities already disproportionately bear the brunt of the crises scarring our world — from conflicts and climate disasters to poverty and inequalities — because of persistent discrimination, stigma, and barriers to basic rights and services. But they are also often denied their right to contribute to solutions to these crises," the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in his message on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.He recalled that at the recently adopted Pact for the Future, held in September at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, the world's countries committed to correcting this injustice for persons with disabilities of all ages, for present and future generations."On this important day, and every day, let's work with persons with disabilities to achieve an inclusive and sustainable future for all people," Mr Guterres said.

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24 November 2024

Bahrain UN Country Team Gender Theme Group Strategises Advancing Gender Equality in 2025

Since its establishment in 2023, the Gender Theme Group (GTG) of the Bahrain UN Country Team (UNCT) has been driving efforts to enhance gender mainstreaming efforts across the UN’s work in Bahrain. With a commitment to achieving tangible results for women and girls, the GTG recently held a two-day strategic retreat to review achievements and set ambitious priorities for 2025.UN Women and United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA) as co-chairs of the GTG, led the retreat with the participation of UN-Habitat, OHCHR, IOM, UN Information Center (UNIC) and WHO and with the support of the Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO).The retreat kicked off with a review of the GTG workplan 2024 implementation and progress on the UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard (GES). The group assessed the annual workplan to identify advancements in integrating a gender perspective into the UNCT joint work. Based on this progress, the GTG drafted the Scorecard annual report, selecting five performance indicators to demonstrate improvements in the UNCT’s collective efforts on gender equality . During the retreat, UN Women introduced the GTG study conducted this year to calculate members’ staff time contribution to the GTG, and which offered key recommendations to strengthen GTG capacity to drive gender results for the UNCT’s joint work. Drawing on the results of the study and other insights, the GTG developed key actions to include in the team’s 2025 workplan.On the second day, UN Women facilitated capacity building sessions to support the GTG in implementing its workplan in line with the global standard and procedures for Gender Theme Groups. The training included a refresher on the Gender Equality Marker (GEM), a tool to assess resource allocation in activities in the UN Country Team Joint Workplan that promote gender equality. An introductory session on Gender Mainstreaming followed, providing guidance on how UN agencies can more effectively integrate gender equality perspectives in their programming. Additionally, a session on gender-based results monitoring and reporting was conducted to examine gender-responsive monitoring structure and explore practical methods for including measurement for gender-related changes to the indicators.The retreat reinforced the GTG’s role in driving accountability and building capacity for UN gender-responsive programming within the UNCT. As Bahrain continues to advance gender equality in line with Sustainable Development Goal 5, the GTG remains committed to achieving cohesive, transformative results for women and girls, contributing to the broader realization of the SDGs.“Building on this year’s achievements, the GTG will ensure that gender equality and women’s empowerment remain central to the UNCT’s joint work in Bahrain bolstered by the technical training conducted during the retreat. The GTG’s collective efforts will ensure that the UN Country Team is able to collaborate effectively with our national partners and contribute to the national development priorities of the Kingdom of Bahrain around women’s empowerment and the Beijing Platform for Action” said Josephine Moss, GTG co-chair and Regional Coordination Specialist from UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States.With a clear roadmap for 2025, the GTG is poised to strengthen its impact on gender equality, ensuring that the UN’s work in Bahrain remains inclusive, effective, and aligned with global standards.

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18 November 2024

Assistant-Secretary General for Youth Affairs Visits Bahrain

Dr Felipe Paullier, Assistant-Secretary General for Youth Affairs and Head of the UN Youth Office, visited Bahrain from 3 to 8 November to participate in launching the “Hope Network”, a global youth support network initiated by the Kingdom of Bahrain."My visit to Bahrain has been an incredible opportunity to connect with inspiring young leaders and support the launch of the Hope Network, a platform that brings together governments to exchange best practices and strengthen initiatives with and for youth," said Dr Paullier, highlighting Bahrain's crucial role in hosting this initiative.He also emphasised the role of such a platform during a time of global momentum in youth empowerment, which requires maximising cooperation and collective efforts. Dr Paulier explored with Bahraini officials, including His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, H.E Ms Rawan bint Najeeb Tawfiqi, Minister of Youth Affairs, and H.E. Ramzan bin Abdulla Al Noaimi, Minister of Information, impactful opportunities to empower youth."Every moment has been focused on amplifying youth voices and building impactful partnerships. We look forward to scaling up our collaboration to support young people in Bahrain and beyond," he said.Dr Paullier also met the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in Bahrain, discussing how empowering young people by providing spaces for their meaningful engagement can deliver on the UN's Youth2030 strategy. "Mainstreaming youth issues is our best chance to accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030", he told the UNCT.
"The UNCT will build on the outcomes of this visit to continue working with partners to engage and empower Bahraini youth," said the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Bahrain, Mr Khaled El Mekwad. The Hope Network’s mission is to advance youth affairs through global policy exchange and strategic national planning to fully leverage the potential of youth as a vital human capital resource. The network also has initiatives to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), allowing youth to launch their own initiatives and creating a helpful environment to support such efforts.This aligns with the UN Youth Office, which leads system-wide collaboration, coordination and accountability on youth affairs, balancing how the United Nations works with and for young people in all their diversity. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres said the UN Youth Office was created “to advance efforts towards stronger advocacy, coordination, and accountability for and with young people.”

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16 January 2025

UNIDO ITPO Launch "Global Entrepreneurs Alliance” and the “Global Call 2025 Creative Orange Economy: Innovating the Future”.

UN agencies representatives, Bahrain government officials and civil society members came together Tuesday for the official launch of two pioneering initiatives led by UNIDO ITPO Bahrain and the International Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, namely; the “Global Entrepreneurs Alliance” and the “Global Call 2025 themed Creative Orange Economy: Innovating the Future”.“The launch of these two critical initiatives is a new milestone in the long-standing, multifaceted partnership between the United Nations and the Kingdom of Bahrain, which was recently highlighted by the signing of the new Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for the period 2025-2029,” said UN Resident Coordinator in Bahrain Khaled El Mekwad. The UNIDO “Global Call 2025 on Creative Orange Economy: Innovating the Future” aims to celebrate and promote innovation, creativity, and sustainability within the creative industries. This competition is open to participants worldwide, encouraging diverse and inclusive participation across three main categories: eco-friendly production, digital innovation, and cultural heritage. Additionally, there are special categories for school and university students to foster young talent.The orange economy is a vibrant and fast-growing sector, contributing 3.1% to the global GDP, generating over 2 trillion USD in annual revenues, and providing nearly 50 million jobs worldwide. Recognizing such potential, several UN agencies have initiated programs and launched initiatives to further promote and harness this sector.The Global Entrepreneurs' Alliance – GEA aspires to be a global platform fostering cooperation and coordination among entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, and professionals dedicated to supporting entrepreneurial and innovative endeavours. By bringing together counterparts from around the world, the Alliance aims to help individuals achieve their full potential and make positive contributions to their national economies and societies.“The Alliance echoes the outcomes of the stakeholder consultations which led to formulation of the newly signed Cooperation Framework, including calls for the United Nations to facilitate knowledge exchange and capacity building, especially in digital transformation and sustainable business practices,” said El Mekwad. “The United Nations Country Team in the Kingdom of Bahrain will continue working with partners & stakeholders to amplify these two initiatives to help creating a sustainable and inclusive future for everyone in Bahrain, where no one is left behind.”

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12 January 2025

It’s Not Censorship to Stop Hateful Online Content, Insists UN Rights Chief

Social media posts inciting hate and division have “real world consequences” and there is a responsibility to regulate content, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, insisted on Friday, following Meta’s decision to end its fact-checking programme in the United States.“Allowing hate speech and harmful content online has real world consequences. Regulating this content is not censorship,” Volker Türk wrote on X.In a longer LinkedIn post on the same theme, Mr. Türk maintained that labelling efforts to create safe online spaces as “censorship…ignore[s] the fact that unregulated space means some people are silenced – in particular those whose voices are often marginalized. At the same time, allowing hatred online limits free expression and may result in real world harms.”Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg announced last Tuesday that the company would cease its fact-checking programme in the United States, stating that fact-checkers ran the risk of appearing politically biased, with self-regulation resulting in too much censorship. He called for a return to freer speech on Meta’s platforms, adding that user’s trust had been eroded.The International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) has reportedly rejected Mr. Zuckerberg’s “false” argument and warned it could cause harm.Digital potentialMr. Türk highlighted that social media platforms have a tremendous ability to shape society positively by connecting people. But they can also fuel conflict, incite hate and threaten people’s safety.“At its best, social media is a place where people with divergent views can exchange, if not always agree,” he said.The UN human rights chief noted that he would continue to call for “accountability and governance in the digital space, in line with human rights. This safeguards public discourse, builds trust, and protects the dignity of all.”When asked about the impact of Meta’s recent decisions on the social media policy of the United Nations, a UN spokesperson in Geneva emphasized that the global organization continually monitors and evaluates the online space.“It remains crucial for us to be present with fact-based information,” said Michele Zaccheo, Chief of TV, Radio and Webcast. He added that the UN remained committed to providing evidence-based information on social media platforms.The World Health Organization (WHO) also reaffirmed its commitment to providing quality, science-based health information, maintaining a presence across various online platforms.In response to the growing crisis fueled by digital misinformation, the UN Department of Global Communications (DCG) has been actively working to combat false narratives.This includes developing a code of conduct for information integrity, known as the UN Global Principles for Information Integrity.

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12 January 2025

Confirmed: 2024 Was the Hottest Year on Record, Says UN Weather Agency

“We saw extraordinary land, sea surface temperatures, extraordinary ocean heat accompanied by very extreme weather affecting many countries around the world, destroying lives, livelihoods, hopes and dreams,” WMO spokesperson Clare Nullis said. “We saw many climate change impacts retreating sea ice glaciers. It was an extraordinary year.”Four of the six international datasets crunched by WMO indicated a higher than 1.5℃ global average increase for the whole of last year but two did not. The 1.5℃ marker is significant because it was a key goal of the 2015 Paris Agreement to try to ensure that global temperature change does not rise more than this above pre-industrial levels, while striving to hold the overall increase to well below 2℃.Climate deal under pressureThe Paris Agreement is “not yet dead but in grave danger”, the WMO maintained, explaining that the accord’s long-term temperature goals are measured over decades, rather than individual years.However, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo insisted that “climate history is playing out before our eyes. We’ve had not just one or two record-breaking years, but a full ten-year series. “It is essential to recognize that every fraction of a degree of warming matters. Whether it is at a level below or above 1.5C of warming, every additional increment of global warming increases the impacts on our lives, economies and our planet.”LA fires: climate change factorAmid still raging deadly wildfires in Los Angeles that weather experts including the WMO insist have been exacerbated by climate change - with more days of dry, warm, windy weather on top of rains which boosted vegetation growth – the UN agency said that 2024 capped a decade-long “extraordinary streak of record-breaking temperatures”.© CAL FIREA bank building burns in Los Angeles, California.UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the WMO’s findings as further proof of global warming and urged all governments to deliver new national climate action plans this year to limit long-term global temperature rise to 1.5C – and support the most vulnerable deal with devastating climate impacts.“Individual years pushing past the 1.5℃ limit do not mean the long-term goal is shot,” Mr. Guterres said. “It means we need to fight even harder to get on track. Blazing temperatures in 2024 require trail-blazing climate action in 2025,” he said. “There’s still time to avoid the worst of climate catastrophe. But leaders must act – now.”The datasets used by WMO are from the European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), the Japan Meteorological Agency, NASA, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the UK Met Office in collaboration with the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia (HadCRUT) and Berkeley Earth.Listen back to an interview with climate scientist Alvaro Silva at the WMO, following the heat alert in the United States at the end of June.Ocean warmingHighlighting a separate scientific study on ocean warming, WMO said that it had played a key role in last year’s record high temperatures.“The ocean is the warmest it has ever been as recorded by humans, not only at the surface but also for the upper 2,000 metres,” the UN agency said, citing the findings of the international study spanning seven countries and published in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences.WMO noted that about 90 per cent of the excess heat from global warming is stored in the ocean, “making ocean heat content a critical indicator of climate change”.To put the study’s findings into perspective, it explained that from 2023 to 2024, the upper 2,000 metres of ocean became warmer by 16 zettajoules (1,021 Joules), which is about 140 times the world’s total electricity output.

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05 January 2025

2024 to Become the Hottest Year on Record

“Today I can officially report that we have just endured a decade of deadly heat. The top ten hottest years on record have happened in the last ten years, including 2024,” said Secretary-General António Guterres in his message for the New Year. “This is climate breakdown — in real time. We must exit this road to ruin — and we have no time to lose,” he gravely emphasised.WMO will publish the consolidated global temperature figure for 2024 in January and its full State of the Global Climate 2024 report in March 2025. Climate catastrophes Throughout 2024, a series of reports from the WMO community highlighted the rapid pace of climate change and its far-reaching impacts on every aspect of sustainable development.Record-breaking rainfalls were documented as well as catastrophic flooding, scorching heat waves with temperatures exceeding 50°C, and devastating wildfires. The organization found that climate change added 41 days of dangerous heat in 2024, harming human health and ecosystems in their report When Risks Become Reality: Extreme Weather. Climate change also intensified 26 of the 29 weather events studied by World Weather Attribution that killed at least 3700 people and displaced millions. Celeste Saulo, the WMO Secretary-General, described the year as a sobering wake-up call. “This year we saw record-breaking rainfall and flooding events and terrible loss of life in so many countries, causing heartbreak to communities on every continent,” she stated.“Every fraction of a degree of warming matters, and increases climate extremes, impacts and risks,” she underscored. Hope amid crises Despite the grim realities, the year 2024 saw notable advancements with the adoption of the Pact for the Future - a landmark agreement to promote disarmament, financial reform, gender equality, and ethical technological innovation. The COP29 UN climate conference also recently discussed ways to increase finance for poor countries to support them in coping with the impacts of extreme weather. Developing countries are responsible for a small amount of historic carbon emissions, but as WMO research has highlighted, are being hit the hardest by extreme weather. Moreover, in response to the Secretary-General's Call to Action on Extreme Heat, a targeted group of experts representing 15 international organizations and 12 countries convened at WMO headquarters in December to advance a coordinated framework for tackling the growing threat of extreme heat. 2025: A pivotal year With 2025 designated as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, WMO and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) aim to prioritise efforts to protect the cryosphere - the Earth’s frozen regions, critical to regulating global temperatures. Additionally, WMO is advancing initiatives like the Global Greenhouse Gas Watch which aims to improve the monitoring of greenhouse gas (GHG) net fluxes globally. By 2027, the organization also aims to ensure universal protection from hazardous environmental events through life-saving anticipatory systems currently developed in the Early Warnings for All programme. Reflecting on WMO’s upcoming 75th anniversary, Ms. Saulo reinforced the shared responsibility to act.“If we want a safer planet, we must act now. It’s our responsibility. It’s a common responsibility, a global responsibility,” she firmly stated.

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05 January 2025

In New Year’s Message, Guterres Urges Countries to Drastically Slash Emissions and ‘Exit This Road to Ruin’

Reflecting on 2024, he stated that “hope has been hard to find”, with wars causing enormous pain, suffering and displacement, and inequalities and divisions fuelling tensions and mistrust.“And today I can officially report that we have just endured a decade of deadly heat,” he said.‘No time to lose’The Secretary-General noted that the top 10 hottest years on record have occurred in the past decade.“This is climate breakdown — in real time. We must exit this road to ruin — and we have no time to lose,” he said.“In 2025, countries must put the world on a safer path by dramatically slashing emissions, and supporting the transition to a renewable future. It is essential — and it is possible.”Hope drives changeMr. Guterres said that even in the darkest days he has “seen hope power change.”In this regard, he saluted activists of all ages who are raising their voices for progress, as well as “humanitarian heroes overcoming enormous obstacles to support the most vulnerable people.”The Secretary-General said he also sees hope in developing countries fighting for financial and climate justice, and in the scientists and innovators breaking new ground for humanity.He stressed that the Pact for Future, adopted last September by UN Member States, is a new push to build peace through disarmament and prevention.Other aims include reforming the global financial system, pushing for more opportunities for women and youth, and ensuring that technologies “put people over profits and rights over runaway algorithms”.Here, he also underlined the need to always stick to the values and principles enshrined by human rights, international law and the United Nations Charter.Nations unitedThe Secretary-General concluded by stating that there are no guarantees for what lies ahead in 2025.He pledged to stand with all those working to forge a more peaceful, equal, stable and healthy future for all people.“Together, we can make 2025 a new beginning,” he said. “Not as a world divided. But as nations united.”

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Press Release

24 December 2024

Resident Coordinator's Statement on the Signing of the New Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for 2025-2029.

The signing of the new Strategic Cooperation Framework for Bahrain is a significant milestone in the long-standing strategic partnership between the United Nations and the Kingdom of Bahrain. It has resulted from an inclusive consultative process involving various stakeholders from the government, the private sector and civil society, including women and youth. Rooted in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and closely aligned with Bahrain's national priorities, the Framework outlines a unified approach to tackle the multifaceted challenges of sustainable development while seizing opportunities to foster resilience, inclusivity, and economic diversification. It will guide the work of the United Nations Country Team in Bahrain as we continue supporting the Kingdom in its ambitious journey towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and realizing the national development aspirations of the people of Bahrain.

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Press Release

28 November 2024

The Secretary-General’s Message on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People 2024

Every year on this day, the international community stands in solidarity for the dignity, rights, justice and self-determination of the Palestinian people. This year’s commemoration is especially painful as those fundamental goals are as distant as they have ever been.Nothing justifies the 7 October terror attacks by Hamas and the taking of hostages. And nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.Yet, more than a year later, Gaza is in ruins, more than 43,000 Palestinians – mostly women and children – have been reportedly killed, and the humanitarian crisis is getting worse by the day. This is appalling and inexcusable.Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Israeli military operations, settlement expansion, evictions, demolitions, settler violence and threats of annexation are inflicting further pain and injustice.It is past time for an immediate ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages; an end to the unlawful occupation of the Palestinian Territory – as confirmed by the International Court of Justice and the General Assembly; and irreversible progress towards a two-State solution, in line with international law and relevant UN resolutions – with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security, and Jerusalem as the capital of both States.As a matter of urgency, I appeal for full support of lifesaving humanitarian relief for the Palestinian people – in particular through the work of UNRWA, which represents an irreplaceable lifeline for millions of Palestinians.The United Nations will continue to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people and their inalienable rights to live in peace, security and dignity.

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