Second Annual Report of the National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR) 2014 - Kingdom of Bahrain 35. NIHR has keen interest in attending and participating in regional and international forums held in and abroad the Kingdom, which are relevant to its work and mandates. It took part in several seminars, workshops, training courses, and conferences. At the local level, NIHR participated in the joint seminar titled “Diplomacy in the service of humanity”, which was organized by the Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross Organization in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry and the Bahrain Red Crescent Society on “humanitarian diplomacy”. 36. At the regional level, NIHR participated in a seminar on “Report Writing”, which was held by the Arab Network of National Human Rights Institutions on December 11, 2014 at the headquarters of the Arab Network in Doha, Qatar. NIHR also participated in the International Conference on “Security and Human Rights Challenges in the Arab Region”, which was organized by the National Committee for Human Rights on November 6, 2014 in the State of Qatar, in cooperation with the General Secretariat of the Council of Arab Interior Ministers, the League of Arab States, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Arab Network of National Human Rights Institutions in Doha. On “The role of national human rights institutions in the reform of the criminal justice system”, NIHR presented a research paper about this issue during the international conference on “Penal reform and human rights: reality and aspirations”, which was organized on November 4, 2014 by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the International Organization for Penal Reform, the Directorate of Public Security, and Reform and Rehabilitation Centers Department in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The conference was sponsored by the Swedish Development Agency (SIDA). 37. At the international level, and based on NIHR concern with reviewing the experience of other countries in the field of national reconciliation, a delegation of the Institution participated in the educational visit to Northern Ireland, which was organized by Bridge Foundation for Peace Building and Resolving International Disputes during the period from 9 to November 14, 2014. SECTION II: NIHR ROLE IN THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS 1. The provisions of Law No. 26 of 2014 on the Establishment of the National Institution for Human Rights stress its role in the “protection” of human rights by awarding it a set of mandates in order to achieve its objectives in this area. This includes monitoring human rights violations, conducting the necessary investigation, receiving complaints of human rights, and conducting field visits to monitor human rights conditions in the places where human rights violations are likely to occur. 2. Article 12, Clause (e), of the abovementioned Law states that NIHR has the mandate “To monitor violations of human rights instances, conduct the necessary investigation, draw the attention of the competent authorities and provide them with proposals on initiatives to put an end to such violations and, where necessary, to express an opinion on the reactions and positions of the competent authorities”. Clause (f) provides that it has the mandate “To receive, examine and consider complaints related to human rights, refer the complaints, which NIHR deems necessary, to the relevant authorities, follow-up the complaints effectively, or inform those concerned of the procedures that should be applied, help them take such procedures, or assist in the settlement of complaints with the relevant authorities”. 3. As regards field visits as one of the monitoring tools available to NIHR, Article 12, Clause (g) provides for NIHR mandate “To conduct field visits in accordance with the applicable principles in order to monitor human rights situation in reform institutes, detention 53