ABU DHABI, 14th October, 2025 (WAM) -- The National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) organised the eleventh edition of the "Knowledge Lab," a series of seminars aimed at raising awareness and educating the Institutions’ employees on various topics related to human rights.
The seminar discussed the importance of mental health as a fundamental right in an individual's life and its impact on daily life.
The lecture was delivered by Maqsoud Kruse, Chairman of the NHRI, under the title “The Right to Mental Health: Basic Concepts".
He highlighted the importance of the right to mental health and the Institution’s role in protecting this right as a right, not a privilege, and that it is an essential component of the right to enjoy the highest level of health, as stipulated in International Human Rights conventions.
The lecture covered several topics, including the rights-based approach to mental health, which encompasses the concepts of availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality. It also reviewed the launch of the first legislative lab session, held at the headquarters of the National Human Rights Institution on 22nd May 2025, to discuss the Mental Health Law of 2023.
He also spoke about the World Mental Health Day 2025 campaign, under the theme "Mental Health in Humanitarian Crises”.
He also reviewed the most important international agreements, global initiatives, and UN reports related to supporting the right to mental health, particularly those issued by the United Nations and the World Health Organisation.
The session concluded with active participation from the Institution’s staff, who asked questions, exchanged views, and discussed legal issues. The National Human Rights Institution affirms its ongoing commitment to organising scientific and educational events that contribute to raising awareness and promoting a culture of human rights.