Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions the Government has had with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the provision of technical assistance to Bahrain since 2012.

Officials at the UK Mission in Geneva hold regular discussions with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the provision of UN technical assistance to Bahrain and encourage a continued dialogue between them about co-operation on human rights issues. I encouraged further cooperation on 10 November with senior officials during a visit to Bahrain.

The UK Government continues to work closely with the Government of Bahrain to provide reform assistance focused on strengthening human rights and the rule of law. The UK Government believes that only by working with Bahrain are we able to assist in bringing about the changes necessary in the country. While it will take time to see the full results of much of this work, the UK is having a direct impact on areas of concern.