5. The Board of Commissioners held a meeting to consider these recommendations, which focused on
procedural aspects that were not included in the Law on the Establishment of NIHR, although the
practice upon which NIHR foundation, management and performance is based proves that a proper
approach was adopted in its establishment. It also indicates the transparency that accompanied the
selection, the concern with its independence and the balanced practice that governs performance of
its obligations and fulfillment of its role.
6. Based on NIHR conviction that its current law, compared to the establishment laws of other
institutions, is significantly advanced, the concern to provide a model law will be a prominent
addition that confirms the status of human rights in the Kingdom of Bahrain and its outstanding
leadership. The proposed amendments were presented to the competent authorities to conform
with the essence of the reform led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain,
may God protect him. This affirms that Bahrain is moving forward in providing everything that
would protect and promote the human rights status through supporting NIHR to acquire its rightful
position among its peers in the international community.
7. The essence of the recommendations made by SAC, adopted by the Global Alliance of National
Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), based on which NIHR was awarded the accreditation degree
of category (b), focused on the importance of incorporating in the establishment law a provision to
the effect that the building should be accommodated for the use of persons with disabilities, and
that the members of the legislative authority should not be the majority and their membership
should not affect NIHR independence in order to avoid conflicts of interest between their political
positions and their positions in NIHR.
8. SAC recommendations further noted the importance of the consultation and appointment process
in NIHR to be broad and transparent and to based on clear and unified standards for assessing
the merits of all qualified candidates. SAC considers the importance of formalizing the process of
selection and appointment of NIHR decision-making body.
9. I n its recommendations, SAC confirmed the importance for the Establishment Law of NIHR
to provide that the members of its decision-making body should be full-time members, as this
promotes the independence of national institutions without actual or perceived conflict of interests,
achieves stability in the tenure of its members, provides regular and proper guidance to its officers,
and ensures continuous and effective implementation of NIHR tasks.
10. W
ith respect to NIHR competence in the field of the promotion and protection of human rights,
SAC recommended that NIHR Law needs to include concluding unannounced visits to places of
detention, or any other similar place, in order to monitor, investigate and report on human rights
situation, effectively and in a timely manner, and conduct regular follow-up activities.
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