The UN General Assembly proclaimed 27 December as the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness in light of the spread of Covid-19 as a result of the catastrophic effects this epidemic has left on our lives as individuals and societies. It stressed that special attention should be paid to the vulnerable or those who live in fragile conditions and face the greatest risk of epidemics. As well, mental health has a prominent place in the preventive measures that address this epidemic, as the World Health Organization has launched a campaign to invest in mental health to recover from the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Bahrain participated in the thirty-first special session of the United Nations General Assembly to address the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, on Monday, 14 December 2020, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. It highlighted “the pivotal role played by the United Nations in responding to this global health crisis and its social, economic and humanitarian effects, and Bahrain affirmed its keenness to cooperate with countries of the world and its specialized organizations such as the World Health Organization in order to overcome this emerging circumstance”.
However, the Bahrain Center for Human Rights (BCHR) continuously monitors the Bahraini government’s practices between the speeches it gives in international forums, and the human rights violations on the ground, which we are today in dire need to preserve in order to overcome this crisis. Those violations are evident in the absence of health care in prisons and ill-treatment, which is contrary to what the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners call for, especially Rule 25, which states: “Every prison shall have in place a health-care service tasked with evaluating, promoting, protecting, and improving the physical and mental health of prisoners, paying particular attention to prisoners with special health-care needs or with health issues that hamper their rehabilitation”.
Therefore, BCHR, based on its effective role in raising awareness to address the COVID-19 pandemic, urges the Bahraini government to:
- Commit to the pledges made “to overcome this new circumstance;
- Cooperation with individuals and organizations in order to limit the spread of the virus on the one hand, and limit its effects on the other hand;
- Adopt a comprehensive approach based on protecting and promoting human rights and ensuring sustainable development based on equality and mutual respect.