National Institution for Human Rights – Kingdom of Bahrain 6. NIHR provides training and education service which aims to disseminate human rights culture among the various categories, according to national and international standards, through specialized training programs and courses in order to convert knowledge of human rights to practical skills. The most important target groups of these programs are: judges, public prosecutors, members of the legislature (the House of Representatives and the Shura Council), public officials involved in drafting legislation, or developing and implementing policies, public officials responsible for drafting and submitting reports to international human rights treaty bodies, law enforcement officials, including members of Bahrain Defense Force, public security forces and national guards, punishment institutions officials, and workers in the field of journalism and audio-visual media, civil society institutions of various functions related to civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, schools, universities, private companies and employment offices. 7. These services also include provision of advice in the form of recommendations, suggestions and consultant reports to government and non-government agencies, either on NIHR own motion or at the request of these agencies, on any matter related to the promotion, protection or development of human rights, pursuant to Article 3, paragraphs a, c, d, and e, and Article 4 of NIHR establishment Law. This includes, for example, providing advice on legislative issues, through the consideration of the legislation in force in the Kingdom, and recommending the amendments which NIHR deems appropriate in this regard, especially with regard to consistency of this legislation with the international obligations of the Kingdom. NIHR is also entitled to recommend issuing new legislation related to human rights, and cooperate with the legislative authority, composed of the House of Representatives and the Shura Council and their committees, concerning the matters related to human rights. 8. NIHR further provides advice on the implementation of international conventions through informing the executive authority to ratify international conventions, and advising it on the nature of the obligations of accession or ratification of certain international conventions. The advice provided by NIHR includes the degree of national laws consistency with the standards set out in the convention in question, or whether there is a need for additional legislative initiatives. NIHR further provides its recommendations and proposals regarding the national legislation alignment with the international conventions. 9. Moreover, NIHR provides advice on political affairs through its control over referendum and elections and gives its advisory opinion on the best democratic practices in political affairs. NIHR has a major role in the citizens’ exercise of political rights and how these rights are exercised, such as the establishment of political associations, exercising the mandates of these associations according to their memoranda of association, and the relationship of these associations with the executive authority. NIHR has an important role in the dissemination of political culture and the principles of citizenship and its connection with human rights in accordance with the provisions and principles of the National Action Charter and the Constitution of the Kingdom of Bahrain based on the internationally recognized concepts demonstrated in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 10. Furthermore, NIHR provides advice on administrative matters by monitoring any bureaucratic behaviour or pattern that prejudices or prevents citizens or residents from enjoying their complete legitimate rights in accordance with the Constitution and international instruments, or affects these rights, either directly or indirectly. NIHR indicates the reasons that led to this behaviour and propose appropriate solutions to eliminate or reduce its exacerbation. 31