National Institution for Human Rights – Kingdom of Bahrain 22. In promoting cooperation at the international level, NIHR will engage in the activities of the United Nations human rights bodies, particularly the Human Rights Council of the United Nations, the procedures of the Council, and human rights treaty and non-treaty mechanisms. Furthermore, the Institution will cooperate with the International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions, Asia-Pacific Forum, and other human rights bodies, as well as with international governmental and non-governmental human rights organizations, and will benefit from their experiences and concerns with human rights situation at the national, regional or international level. FIFTH: COOPERATION BY THE COMPETENT MINISTRIES AND AGENCIES WITH THE NATIONAL INSTITUTION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS Article 5 of the Royal Decree on the Establishment of NIHR provides as follows: “NIHR may request from the competent bodies and ministries in the Kingdom any information, data, or documents which it deems necessary to achieve its objectives, or exercise its powers. Such bodies and ministries shall assist NIHR in performing its duties, facilitate conducting its mandates, and provide it with anything requested by NIHR in this regard”. As such, it is clear from this text that the ministries and agencies in the Kingdom have legal obligation to provide the National Institution with any requested information, data or documents, if such information is necessary and effective in achieving NIHR goals and objectives, whether in the course of receiving complaints, or during the collection of information and data necessary for the purpose of preparing its annual report. A. The extent of cooperation by the competent ministries and agencies with NIHR concerning the complaints received by the Institution: 1. The National Institution addressed a number of competent ministries and agencies in the Kingdom for the purpose of requesting clarification and information or checking the alleged violations. 94 initial letters were directed to sixteen different destinations. 45 letters were sent in response, while NIHR did not receive any response to 49 letters, despite that 33 reminders were sent. 2. 28 initial letters were directed to the Public Prosecution; followed by 27 letters to the Ministry of the Interior. 8 letters were addressed to the Ombudsman; six letters to the Supreme Judicial Council; four letters to the Ministry of Health; three letters to each of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Housing and Aluminum Bahrain (ALBA), followed by two letters to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments, Gulf Aluminum Rolling (GARMCO), and Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO). One letter was sent to the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Social Development, Electricity and Water Authority, and the Information Affairs Authority. 3. However, the cooperation by some of these bodies was only relative, as they responded to some of the correspondence out of the total number of the sent letters. 18 responses were received from the public prosecution, 9 responses from the Ministry of Interior, two letters from the Ministry of Housing the Ministry of Health and the Supreme Judicial Council. NIHR received one response from each of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments, the Ombudsman Secretariat, and Gulf Aluminum Rolling (GARMCO). 4. On the other hand, there was full cooperation by other bodies which responded to all NIHR letters. The Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Electricity and Water Authority, Information Affairs Authority, Aluminum Bahrain (ALBA) and Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) responded to all letters 36