Third: Prohibition and related issues 6. The national report referred clearly and unequivocally to the criminal provisions in force regarding the prohibition of the sale of children and their exploitation in prostitution and pornography, explaining the deterrent penalties for these crimes, the statute of limitations for them, and the legal responsibility of legal persons, all of which are provisions expressly stipulated in the Penal Code promulgated by Decree-Law No. (15) of 1976 and its amendments. 7. At the time the committee prepared the national report, the Law on Promulgating the Restorative Justice Law for Children and their Protection from Maltreatment (Law No. (4) of 2021) had not yet become binding and published in the Official Gazette9, which is why the NIHR decided to present the legal texts related to the subject of the Optional Protocol (OPSC) as annex. 8. The Restorative Justice Law for Children and their Protection from Maltreatment is a quantum leap in the system of public rights and freedoms in the Kingdom of Bahrain, especially in the field of promoting and protecting child rights, as a law that reflects the Kingdom’s keenness and seriousness in adopting pioneering best practices in the field of children’s rights, and applying what was stated in international instruments on the rights of the child. 9. Complementing the legislative system regarding the recruitment of children, Law No. (1) of 2008 regarding combating trafficking in persons is considered in paragraph (b) of Article (1) that “trafficking in persons is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or reception of persons without Eighteen years, or those who are in a circumstantial or personal situation in which their consent or freedom of choice cannot be taken into account, as long as this is for the purpose of abusing them, even if the act is not accompanied by any of the means stipulated in the previous paragraph. , which is another guarantee that determines the optimal application of the provisions of the Optional Protocol (OPSC). 10. In this regard, the NIHRn renews its call for a comprehensive review of the provisions of the Combat Trafficking in Persons Law and taking into account the observations that the NIHR referred to the government, to ensure its comprehensiveness and consistency with relevant international and regional instruments, starting from the stage of prevention to treatment, up to the imposition of punishment on the perpetrators.10 Fourth: Other legal provisions 9 To view the Restorative Justice Law for Children and their protection from abuse under Law No. (4) of 2021, see the official website of the Legislation and Legal Opinion Authority at the following link: https://www.lloc.gov.bh/FullEn/K0421.docx 10 To view the observations of the National Institution for Human Rights regarding Law No. (1) of 2008 submitted to the government, please see the official website of the institution at the following link: https://www.nihr.org.bh/Consultative/2016/Gov 6