First: The Role of the NIHR in the Area of Promoting and Protecting the Rights of the Child 1. Inception and Development of the National Institution for Human Rights 1.1. 1.2. 1.3. 1.4. The Kingdom of Bahrain made voluntary pledges before the Human Rights Council during the Universal Periodic Review in April 2008, which included that the Kingdom “is committed to expediently establish a national human rights body, taking into account the relevant United Nations resolutions, especially the Paris Principles. A resolution has already been issued in November 2007 by the Council of Ministers on the establishment of a human rights national body. Once established, the body is expected to develop a national plan for the promotion and protection of human rights in Bahrain”.1 The Royal Order No. (46) of 2009 was issued establishing the National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR) as a beacon of human rights awareness and a house of expertise and advice. The Royal Order included fifteen articles as well as the preamble, which addressed the establishment of an independent institution called the “National Institution for Human Rights”, which exercises its functions freely, impartially, and independently. To ensure that the work of the NIHR is aligned with the “Paris Principles” relating to the status of national institutions in the promotion and protection of human rights, Royal Order No. (28) of 2012 was issued amending certain provisions of Royal Order No. (46) of 2009 establishing the National Institution for Human Rights. The amendment reduced the number of the members of the NIHR to be no more than fifteen members, including the Chairperson and the Vice Chairperson. In addition, the amendment granted the NIHR the mandate to contribute in building the capacities related to human rights, including technical preparation and training of the employees of the Kingdom's institutions who work in fields related to public liberties, political, cultural, social, and economic rights, and law enforcement in order to raise their competencies. The amendment also granted the competence of appointing the Secretary General to a resolution by the Chairperson based on the agreement of a majority of the members. However, in recognition of the Government's commitment to fully support the work of the NIHR being the independent and main body in the Kingdom of Bahrain with regard to the promotion and protection of human 1 First National Report of the Kingdom of Bahrain submitted to the Period Review Team of the Human Rights Council during the first session, held from (7-18) April 2008 - Document No. (A/HRC/WG.6/1/BHR/1). 3 NIHR_Bahrain©CRC_parallel report 2018