12. Thus, the Constitution of the Kingdom of Bahrain provides in Article (23) thereof that: “Everyone has the right to express his opinion and publish it by word of mouth, in writing or otherwise”. Moreover, the Constitution guarantees the right to form associations and unions, whose formation is usually for purposes of defending human rights and freedoms, where Article (27) thereof provides that: “The freedom to form associations and unions on national principles, for lawful objectives and by peaceful means is guaranteed under the rules and conditions laid down by law”. 13. Actually, Decree-Law Number (21) of 1989 enacting the Associations Law and amendments thereto, and Decree-Law Number (33) of 2002 enacting the Labor Union Law as amended, and Law Number (47) of 2002 concerning regulating the press, printing and publishing, emerged to regulate the exercise of those rights actually in a manner consistent with the relevant international standards, where those rights in their totality present the foundation from which the human rights defenders proceed. And in view of considering the work of the human rights advocates as being anchored in those rights and freedoms, and particularly insofar as what they express in opinions and positions concerning human rights violations, their activity derives legitimacy from those legal stipulations which guarantee to them the exercise of this role. 14. At the level of the international human rights conventions and instruments the United Nations laid down the rules necessary for protecting the activities of human rights activists in accordance with the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders which reaffirmed the importance of giving due regard to the principles and aims of the United Nations for the sake of protecting and promoting the fundamental rights and freedoms of all peoples in all the countries of the world. 15. This Declaration is at the forefront of international conventions which directly concern the human rights advocates, while emphasizing the right and responsibility of persons, groups and societal bodies to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms that are internationally recognized. Actually, the Declaration was adopted based on the convergence of the positions at the UN General Assembly, which represents a moral obligation for the states to enforce in accordance with an integrated human rights system whose components complement and reinforce each other. And even though the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders is not legally binding, it includes rights that are recognized by other international instruments and conventions concerned with human rights, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 16. The UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders contains a set of rights from which the advocates must avail in order to perform their role in promoting and protecting human rights, and perhaps most prominent of those rights, is the right to form associations, the right to assemble, the right to expression, the right to seek information related to human rights and obtain it, receive maintain and publish it, and the right to submit complaints concerning the governmental policies and procedures related to human rights, and the right to communicate with governmental and international nongovernmental organizations without facing any hindrances. 66