Bahrain: third EU-Bahrain Freedom of Religion and Belief Conference held in Brussels

The third EU-Bahrain Freedom of Religion and Belief (FoRB) Conference, entitled “Freedom of Religion & Belief: The Practice of Promoting Coexistence,” took place in Brussels on 28-30 October, building on the previous editions in Manama in 2023 and 2022.

Organised jointly by the European External Action Service and the European Commission in the framework of the EU-GCC Outreach facility, and the Bahrain-based King Hamad Global Centre for Coexistence and Tolerance, the conference underlined  a shared commitment to advancing human rights, peaceful coexistence, and global cooperation amidst a shifting geopolitical context.

In her opening statement Kajsa Ollongren, EU Special Representative for Human Rights stated that: “The EU has a deep interest in advancing dialogue with Bahrain and other countries in the region on the freedom of religion and belief. Unfortunately, all around the world, persons continue to be discriminated, persecuted, and sometimes even killed because of their religion, beliefs or opinion.” 

Across keynote speeches, panel discussions, and breakout sessions, participants from Europe, the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Gulf explored the role of government, civil society, and faith actors in strengthening the Freedom of Religion and Belief. This year’s agenda focused on practical and transferable strategies for fostering coexistence while countering discrimination and intolerance.

The FoRB Conference series, a unique forum bridging European and Middle Eastern perspectives on one of the most sensitive and pressing global human rights issues, is expected to continue and explore new formats to further the concrete impact of this dialogue.