Introduction In line with the pioneering reform process witnessed by the Kingdom of Bahrain in various public sectors during the lustrous rule of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, may God protect him, to promote democracy and sustain the foundations of the rule of law, and building an integrated legislative and legal system alongside actual and practical practices, and also build public institutions that endeavour to promote human rights, and present substantive transformations that aim to promote human rights and public freedoms while ensuring that individuals enjoy them. The Fifth Annual Report of the National Institution for Human Rights focuses on progress achieved in the human rights situation in the Kingdom of Bahrain in 2017. This is in compliance with the stipulation of Article Number (21) of Law Number (26) of 2014 establishing it, amended by Law-Decree Number (20) of 2016, which makes it incumbent on the Council of Commissioners to prepare an annual report on the efforts and activities of the Institution, which includes a section on the progress of the human rights condition in the Kingdom, and any proposals and recommendations it deems suitable within the scope of its mandate, while also identifying the obstacles to performance and the solutions devised to surmount and avoid them. The Council of Commissioners shall present its report to the King, the Council of Ministers, the House of Representatives, and Shura Council, and shall present in parallel its report to the public opinion. This report outlines the condition of human rights in the Kingdom, with a review of the NIHR efforts in the promotion and protection of human rights, taking into account the provisions of the Constitution and the relevant international instruments and standards of human rights. The report consists of three chapters preceded by an introduction and preface. Chapter I tackles the advisory opinions which the National Institution for Human Rights submitted to the public constitutional powers, and Chapter II the progress achieved and the efforts exerted and activities in the fields of promoting and protecting human rights, while Chapter III overviews a number of major issues which are of direct impact on the condition of human rights during the time span of the report, represented in the role of human rights advocates in the field of promoting and protecting human rights, women’s rights, the rights of expatriate workers, the right to health, and finally the right to education. Finally, NIHR hopes that this report, as well as the preceding reports, will serve as a tool for promoting the human rights reality in the Kingdom, in line with Bahrain’s obligations arising from its ratification of or accession to human rights international or regional instruments, or those that relate to the comprehensive regular review through the team working in the Human Rights Council. The ultimate objective of this report is to achieve the best practices in terms of enjoying the various rights and public freedoms, and to render human rights a way of life. 9