Second: A proposal on the amendment of the provisions of the two articles Numbers
(60) and (69) of Law Number (37) for the year 2012 by enacting the Child Law, such as
relates to criminalizing the exploitation of children in the election process
1- The NIHR submitted a proposal on the amendment of the provisions of the articles (60) and (69) of
Law Number (37) for the year 2012 by enacting the Child Law, such as relates to the criminalization
of the exploitation of children in the election process, where the NIHR explained in its consultative
opinion that whilst child rights require special protection, that differ from the other rights in their
content and nature, given that their fulfillment requires the provision of a sound and healthy
psychological and social environment, and this calls for continuing to improve the circumstance of
children without discrimination, in addition to raising and rearing them in a peaceful and secure
environment.
2- The NIHR has expressed extreme concern as relates to what children in the Kingdom of Bahrain are
exposed to in exploitation in the field of election propaganda during the elections period, which may
expose them to the risk of injury or death or detention, whilst emphasizing the impermissibility of
exposing the life of children to danger or placing them within the matrix of political competition whilst
being in the stage of forming their political consciousness, and it emphasizes the responsibility of
those involved in this, given that protecting children from political exploitation is considered among
the fundamental elements related to assuring their right to survival, growth and development, in
order to be able to contribute to building society and to achieve its progress.
اﻟﺘﻘﺮﻳﺮ اﻟﺴﻨﻮي اﻟﺜﺎﻟﺚ
ﻟﻠﻤﺆﺳﺴﺔ اﻟﻮﻃﻨﻴﺔ ﻟﺤﻘﻮق اﻧﺴﻨﺎم
3- By reading the texts of Article Number (37) for 2012 concerning the Child Law, Article Number (60)
ـ ﻣﻤﻠﻜﺔ اﻟﺒﺤﺮﻳﻦ2015 ﻟﻌﺎم
relating to the criminalization of political exploitation of children stipulated that it is “prohibited to
exploit children in demonstrations, meetings and marches that are of a political aim.” Moreover,
Article Number (69) thereof related to imposing punishment on all who perform the action of
exploitation states: “Without prejudice to any stricter punishment stipulated in any other law,
any who violate the provisions of Article (60) of this law shall be punished by imprisonment for
a period not less than one year and a fine not in excess of one thousand Dinars or by one of these
two penalties.”
4- Notwithstanding the progress achieved in the legislative structure in the Kingdom as relates to
criminalizing the exploitation of children in meetings and processions that are of a political aim
as stipulated by Article (69) of the Law Number (37) for the year 2012 concerning the Child Law
referred to above, this Law did not provide sufficient protection for children from the other forms
of political exploitation also represented in exploiting them by political groups in acts of violence,
destruction and terrorism whether for a material return or not, and exploiting the children in election
campaigns, whose spreading in Bahraini society was recently observed.
5- Hence, based on the commitment of the Kingdom to the necessity of caring for the young, and
protecting them from exploitation, and also protecting them from moral, physical and spiritual
neglect, the NIHR believes that it is imperative to amend the provisions of Articles (60) and (69) of
Law Number (37) for the year 2012 concerning the Child Law, in order to fill the existing legislative
void as relates to the other forms of the political exploitation of children.
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