International and Regional Cooperation

International and Regional Cooperation

International and Regional Cooperation

The UAE is a progressive, diverse and tolerant country that is deeply committed to human rights and to working with international partners to advance these rights at home and abroad.

From cooperating with the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Human Rights Council, to implementing legislation in the UAE to protect the most vulnerable, the UAE continuously upholds and promotes human rights domestically and internationally.

International Treaties

The UAE has ratified several international treaties to protect human rights, and is working hand-in-glove with international bodies to strengthen and uphold the implementation of these treaties globally.

International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ratified in 1974).

Convention on the Rights of the Child (ratified in 1997).

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (ratified in 2004).

Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of 1948 (ratified in 2005).

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (ratified in 2010).

Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (ratified in 2012).

Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography (ratified in 2016).

Funding

The UAE is proud of its voluntary funding contributions to international human rights bodies.

In 2018, the UAE undertook renovation works in Room XVII of the United Nations Building in Geneva, which cost $22 million.
In March 2019, the UAE announced a voluntary contribution of $1.5 million to support the programmes and activities of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
In February 2020, the UAE announced it was committing $589,425 to support the OHCHR in anti-corruption and human rights projects.
The UAE has also provided additional funding to support the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture and Other Cruel Inhumane or Degrading Treatment and Punishment; the UN Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery; the UN Voluntary Fund on Disability of UNDESA; and the Multi-Partner Trust Fund Conflict Related to Sexual Violence.

International Partners

UN Human Rights Council

UN Human Rights Council

The UAE was elected to the Human Rights Council by the United Nations General Assembly for two consecutive terms from 2013 – 2018, as well as a third term from 2022 – 2024. Throughout these periods, the UAE has played a pivotal role in building consensus around key issues, notably around realising equal access to education.
In 2016, the UAE put forward Resolution 32/20 on Realising the Equal Enjoyment of the Right to Education by Every Girl, which was adopted by the UN Human Rights Council.
In 2021, the UAE successfully built consensus for the UN Human Rights Council to adopt Resolution 47/5 for the Realisation of Equal Enjoyment of the Right to Education by Every Girl, which backs 12 years of quality education for all girls.
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Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

The UAE is committed to collaborating positively with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) by keeping an open dialogue on major human rights issues, as well as submitting insightful reports at the Office’s request, such as on upholding human rights during the pandemic.
The UAE continues to deepen its cooperation with the OHCHR through knowledge exchange, technical assistance, and capacity building programmes.
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UN Special Rapporteurs

UN Special Rapporteurs

The UAE is keen to strengthen its cooperation with UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteurs, which serve as independent human rights experts with mandates to report and submit recommendations on human rights from a thematic or country-specific perspective.
Over the years, the UAE has received several Special Rapporteurs, including the Special Rapporteur on Combatting Trafficking in Persons, and the Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers.
The UAE has also proactively issued invitations for other Special Rapporteurs to visit the UAE, including the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Special Rapporteur on Right to Education.
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Regional cooperation

The UAE continues to strengthen cooperation in the field of human rights with regional organisations, such as the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the League of Arab States (LAS) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

The UAE is a signatory of the League of Arab States’ ‘Arab Charter for Human Rights’ since 2006. Building on this commitment, the UAE is dedicated to implementing the provisions of the Charter at a national level, and regularly submits periodic reports to the Arab Charter Committee for Human Rights.

Regional Collaboration