The year 2021 was marked by new progress in the field of economic diversification. Over 40 virtual events, workshops and forums aimed at stimulating start-ups and the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises were held during the year with the support of the United Nations. Approximately 4,000 experts and entrepreneurs participated in these events. Furthermore, nearly 450 business plans were developed and supported with an estimated investment of $95 million, leading to the creation of around 800 jobs.

Special attention was given to strengthening entrepreneurship among women and youth. About 900 youth were engaged in an entrepreneurship-focused initiative and programmes specifically designed to target Bahraini start-up entrepreneurs supported by the United Nations recorded a female participation rate of 72 per cent, which was significantly above the 40-50 per cent from previous years.

The Government of Bahrain made significant progress in promoting the rights of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups with the United Nations policy support in 2021, including through the development of a draft Action Plan of the National Strategy for the Rights of People with Disabilities 2022-2026. The document, once approved, will ensure that the rights of the over 11,000 persons with disabilities living in Bahrain are more effectively observed and realized.

United Nations advocacy efforts also helped the Government of Bahrain to strengthen the policy and regulatory framework regarding the equal treatment of migrant workers. The United Nations Network on Migration, which brings together over half of the United Nations entities working in the country, successfully engaged with the Government of Bahrain on the issue of maternity cover for female migrant workers in the public sector on one-year contracts. Representatives of the United Nations also engaged in a fruitful dialogue with the National COVID-19 Task Force on the COVID-19 vaccination of irregular migrants, ensuring that nobody was left behind in the national vaccination campaign.

In addition, a mapping exercise was undertaken on the services available to migrant workers as well as the information gaps that they faced, and preparations for another one were initiated to help inform future programming and policy dialogues in the field.

Furthermore, government capacity in relation to gender-based violence and domestic violence reporting was enhanced through the participation of government representatives in a regional workshop on the strengthening of data systems on violence against women. The workshop was organized by the United Nations through an interagency effort.

Following a declaration of intent of cooperation signed in August 2021 between the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations Resident Coordinator a.i., the United Nations provided technical advice and support to the Government of Bahrain while it prepared its National Action Plan for Human Rights 2022-2026.

During the year, the capacity of 120 criminal justice practitioners in Bahrain concerning the use of non-custodial measures and sentences and the rights and needs of children was further consolidated under the ongoing partnership with the Ministry of Justice. Additional steps were also taken towards a more child-friendly and gender-sensitive justice system, including through the support provided in the alignment of the Restorative Justice Law for Children and their Protection from Maltreatment with international standards.

The United Nations in Bahrain continued to work closely with the Bahrain Centre for Strategic, International and Energy Studies in conducting research to inform policy responses, particularly to the COVID-19 pandemic, with three research papers being produced during the year as a result. The papers helped to shed light on the impact of remote working on Bahraini women, on the impact of the pandemic on the physical and mental well-being of the population and the role of telemedicine during the pandemic, as well as on the impact of loan deferrals, mandated by the Government, on Bahraini households.

A hackathon organized by the United Nations in partnership with the University of Bahrain and the Bahrain Institute for Public Administration resulted in the development of another 10 publishable research papers on the challenges generated by the pandemic. The papers were only the immediate outcome of the hackathon, with the increased capacity among the new generation of researchers to conduct solid scientific analysis following their participation in the event being the true result of the initiative.