National Institution for Human Rights – Kingdom of Bahrain
Association on July 10, 2013, the Supreme Council for Women on December 24, 2013,
and the Secretariat of Grievances of the Ministry of Interior on December 29, 2013.
These memoranda aim to build bridges of cooperation with those organizations and
agencies to improve the promotion of human rights and to work together to develop
programs to achieve the envisaged goals.
9. In terms of legislative review, at the request of the House of Representatives and the
Shura Council, NIHR presented its views on a number of national laws to indicate
their compliance with international instruments on human rights and the relevant
international obligations of the Kingdom. This includes the draft law on reform,
rehabilitation, and custody centers; the draft law on the amendment of the provisions
of the Criminal Procedure Code to reduce the period of precautionary imprisonment
of the accused and grant him the right to challenge such imprisonment; the draft
law amending Article 5 of Law No. 47 of 2006 on the Care, Rehabilitation and
Employment of Disabled People; and the introduced Article 20 of the draft traffic
law. NIHR also proposed that the Government prepares a comprehensive national
strategy that includes the necessary mechanisms and procedures for dealing with
human rights reports issued on the Kingdom of Bahrain.
10. NIHR presented its recommendations to the Government about the Law of Trade
Unions Freedom and the Right to Organize Trade Unions in Bahrain, a proposal on
amending the Citizenship Law to grant Bahraini women a right equal to men with
respect to the nationality of their children, and a proposal for raising juvenile age
set out in Decree Law No. 17 of 1976 concerning Juveniles up to the age of eighteen
years, in addition to its observations on the National Children’s Strategy for the years
(2013-2017).
11. NIHR interacted with the relevant world days and events related to the promotion
of human rights in the community. In 2013, NIHR issued twenty-five statements on
those days and occasions, the first of which was a statement on the occasion of World
Health Day; the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination;
the International Day of Books and Copyright; World Day for Cultural Diversity
and Development; World Environment Day; World Day Against Child Labor;
World Elderly Abuse Awareness Day; the United Nations World Refugee Day; the
Twentieth Anniversary of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights;
International Day in Support of Victims of Torture; the International Day for Victims
of Enforced Disappearance; the International Day of Democracy; the World Day of
Peace; the International Day of Non-Violence; the World Teachers’ Day; the World
Habitat Day; World Food Day; the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty;
the United Nations Day; the International Day for Tolerance; the International Day
for the Elimination of Violence against Women; the International Day for Persons
with Disabilities; the International Day against Corruption; and Human Rights Day.
As a whole, these statements aim to inform the public of the international day or
occasion, with an indication of its importance, and its relevant practice at the national
level.
12. In addition, NIHR was concerned with its presence and representation in regional
and international forums related to its activity and mandate. NIHR participated
in a number of seminars, workshops, training courses, and conferences. At the
regional level, the Institution participated in the international symposium entitled
“Development, Democracy and Developing the Arab Regional Regime” held at the
headquarters of the League of Arab States in Cairo, in cooperation with the League of
Arab States, the Arab Network of National Institutions for Human Rights, the United
Nations Organization for Education, Culture and Science, and the Arab Organization
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