NIHR submits its Parallel Report to the Arab Human Rights Committee (Charter Committee)
The National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR) appreciates the efforts made by the Kingdom of Bahrain to submit its first Periodic Report to the Charter Committee in line with its belief in the importance and effectiveness of this Arab mechanism in promoting the development of human rights in the Arab world in accordance with the scheduled dates.
For his part, Dr. Khalifa bin Ali al-Fadel, NIHR Secretary-General, pointed out that the NIHR submitted its Parallel Report on the first Periodic Report of the Kingdom of Bahrain on the progress made in implementing the provisions of the Arab Charter for Human Rights to the Arab Human Rights Committee for presentation at the next session of the Committee.
Dr. Al-Fadel explained that the submission of parallel reports and contributing to the drafting and discussion of the reports, which the Kingdom undertakes to submit periodically and to comment on, are within the jurisdiction of the NIHR in the Kingdom of Bahrain, pursuant to its Incorporation Law No. (26) of 2014, modified by the Decree-Law No. (20) of 2016.
In its preparation of the parallel report, the NIHR adopted a number of relevant standards, notably the Arab Charter on Human Rights, which was ratified by the Kingdom of Bahrain under Law No. (7) of 2006, the Guide to the Participation of National Human Rights Institutions, NGOs, relevant bodies and stakeholders, which was issued by the Charter Committee, the first Periodic Report of the Kingdom of Bahrain submitted to the Charter Committee, the list of pre-queries prepared by the Charter Committee on the first Periodic Report of the Kingdom of Bahrain, the recommendations of the Charter Committee during the discussion of the first Periodic Report of the Kingdom of Bahrain during the 3rd session of the Committee held on (16-21 February 2013), the national legislation and laws in force, the international and regional human rights instruments ratified or acceded to by the Kingdom of Bahrain, and practice on the ground through the complaints received by the NIHR, applications for assistance submitted by it or its mandate to monitor the human rights situation in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The NIHR’s Report deals with the progress made in the implementation of the provisions of the Arab Charter on Human Rights. It started with reviewing the texts of the Articles of the Charter and determining the development therein, both in the dissemination of values and principles of human rights and the culture of brotherhood and tolerance (Article 1), the right to self-determination (Article 2), ensuring real equality in the enjoyment of all rights and freedoms without discrimination (Article 3), the measures for the imposition of exceptional emergency (Article 4), the right to life and physical integrity (Articles 5-9), combating slavery and trafficking in persons (Article 10), the independence of the judiciary and the right of recourse to it (Articles 11-23), political and civil freedoms (Articles 24-30), the right to individual property (Article 31), freedom of opinion and expression (Article 32), the protection of the family especially women and children (Article 32), the right to work and freedom of the formation of associations and trade unions (Articles 34-36), the right to development (Articles 37-38), the right to health (Article 39), the right to a decent life for persons with mental and physical disabilities (Article 40), and the right to education and cultural rights (Articles 41-42), and concluded with a number of recommendations relevant to each topic.
