Requirement Eight NIHR’s Position on the Efforts Made in the Field of Digital Transformation in the Government Services Sector and its Impact on the Human Rights Situation 1. Subsequent to reviewing the replies received from the majority of ministries and official bodies that were addressed as regards access to information on the efforts made by them to ensure digital transformation and enhance the enjoyment of various relevant rights and freedoms during Covid-19 pandemic and the consequences that led to undermining a number of basic human rights and freedoms. It is evident that the Kingdom of Bahrain has taken upon itself the responsibility to preserve the health and safety of everyone without exception or discrimination between a citizen and a resident, by adopting a package of decisions, precautionary measures, and well-thought-out preventive measures to minimize the damages resulting from the pandemic. 2. The Kingdom has employed social distancing instead of resorting to total closure, as happened in many countries of the world. This was achieved by turning to digital transformation of the provision of its services online. The electronic services ensured the continuity of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of their prescribed rights. Preparedness measures were elevated to confront the Covid-19 since its spread through launching of a wide range of decisions, precautionary measures, and carefully planned preventive measures, which contributed greatly to reducing the negative impacts caused by this virus. 3. The NIHR also noted that not all of the efforts made to address Covid-19 - especially those related to digital transformation of services provided by the government - were done on the spur the of the moment, but rather most of them were based on previously implemented electronic services that were developed further, as the situation required, and adopted during this pandemic. 4. This certainly indicates that the current and previous government agendas focus on moving forward towards enhancing sustainability elements and keeping pace with the changes in the aspects of education, health, housing, the judicial and justice sector, effective social care, regulating labor market, as well as other sectors to enable individuals enjoy the highest attainable standards, within the available resources of the State, of all their basic rights and freedoms. Ninth Annual Report of the NIHR 92