National Institution for Human Rights – Kingdom of Bahrain FIRST: NIHR INCEPTION, DEVELOPMENT AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK 1. The Kingdom of Bahrain made voluntary pledges before the Human Rights Council during its Universal Periodic Review in April 2008, which include that the Government “is committed to expediently establish a national human rights body, taking into account the relevant United Nations resolutions, especially the Paris Principles”. A resolution has already been issued in November 2007 by the Council of Ministers on the establishment of a human rights national body. Once established, the body is expected to develop a national plan for the promotion and protection of human rights in Bahrain” 1. 2. Commenting on the proposed law on the establishment of the national body for human rights, presented by the House of Representatives in January 2008, in which it approves and refers the proposed law to the Government in January 2009, in January 2010, the Government referred the draft law to the legislative authority, pursuant to the constitutional procedures in this regard. 3. On November 10, 2009, the Royal Decree No. 46 of 2009 Establishing the National Institution for Human Rights was issued. The said Decree prescribes that NIHR will promote human rights awareness and will provide experience and advice. In addition to its preamble, Article 15 of the Royal Decree Establishing NIHR provides for the establishment of an independent body called the “National Institution for Human Rights” which will exercise its functions with complete freedom, impartiality, and independence. According to the Royal Decree, the Institution should include twentythree members, including the chairman and vice chairman, of proven competence and integrity, to be selected from among the advisory and academic bodies, civil society organizations, trade unions, social, economic, and professional organizations, and figures interested in human rights issues. It is further provided that women and minorities should be properly presented in the Institution, and that the members will be appointed by a royal decree for four years, to be renewed for similar periods. 4. The Royal Decree on the Establishment of NIHR sets out a number of mandates, notably the development of an integrated national strategy for the promotion and protection of human rights in the Kingdom, proposing mechanisms and special means to achieve them, considering the human rights legislation and regulations applicable in the Kingdom, and recommending the amendments it deems appropriate in this regard, especially with regard to the consistency of these laws and regulations with the international human rights commitments of the Kingdom. NIHR may also recommend enacting new legislation related to human rights, disseminate the culture of human rights in cooperation with the organs concerned with education, information, and awareness, introduce human rights protection means, receive and consider complaints related to human rights, refer any complaint decided by NIHR to the competent authorities, follow-up the complaints effectively, inform the relevant parties about the procedures of due process and help them take these procedures, or assist in carrying out these procedures with the concerned parties, and support human rights capacity, including the provision of technical preparation and training for workers in Bahraini institutions concerned with public freedoms, political, cultural, social, and economic rights and law enforcement in order to raise their efficiency. 5. Moreover, the Royal Decree provides for composing standing committees of NIHR members to carry out the mandates described above. NIHR will also have a secretariat to serve as the executive body of the Institution. The Secretariat consists of a secretary general who manages the affairs of the National Institution, supervises 1. First National Report of the Kingdom of Bahrain submitted to the Human Rights Council during the first session, held from (7-18) April 2008 - Document No. (A/HRC/WG.6/1/BHR/1). 12