News

The first activities of the special training program for capacity-building in the field of monitoring human rights for civil society institutions began on Sunday, organised by the National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR) in cooperation with the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Kingdom of Bahrain, within the framework of the NIHR’s action plan and strategy to spread and promote a culture of human rights among various community groups, and out of its concern for bridging the relationship with stakeholders and human rights defenders in this regard.

During his opening speech, Eng. Ali Ahmed Al-Derazi, Chairman of the NIHR, stated that the Kingdom of Bahrain is always keen to improve its human rights record by preserving, respecting and protecting human rights for all without discrimination, and as stipulated in international conventions and instruments in this field, noting the leading role achieved by the Kingdom of Bahrain in the legal field.

Al-Derazi stated that the organisation of this programme came as an implementation of the NIHR’s strategy and action plan for the years (2022-2026), an affirmation of what was stated in the National Human Rights Plan for the Kingdom of Bahrain, and an improvement of the efficiency and professionalism of civil society institutions in implementing their field oversight mandates on various human rights issues, calling on civil society institutions to unite and cooperate in order to make more efforts to enhance everyone’s awareness of their rights, both locally and internationally, stressing that the NIHR’s doors are open to everyone to enhance cooperation with the aim of transforming the challenges and obstacles we all face into opportunities to contribute to the promotion of sustainable development in our dear Kingdom.

The NIHR Chairman concluded his speech with thanks and appreciation to the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Kingdom of Bahrain for strengthening cooperation in everything that would protect and promote human rights, hoping that the programme would meet its aspirations to contribute to the promotion of sustainable development in our dear Kingdom.

For his part, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Mr. Clemens Hatch, expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to the NIHR for organising this training programme, which is hoped to help build the capacities of members of civil society institutions and human rights defenders in the field of monitoring and documentation, through familiarity with the main concepts of human rights, and identification of various technologies in this field, stating the strength of the friendship and cooperation relations between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Kingdom of Bahrain, and their remarkable progress and growth at all levels in a way that achieves common interests and benefits the two friendly countries and peoples.

The 4-day training programme aims to strengthen the capacities of civil society institutions and human rights defenders in the field of monitoring, documenting and drafting reports related to human rights issues in the Kingdom of Bahrain, using the interactive participatory methodology based on presentations, discussions and brainstorming, in addition to investing the participants' gains and experiences in building knowledge through group work and role-playing (simulation).

The training programme will also be guided by the United Nations methodology in its manuals entitled (Manual for Training on Monitoring Human Rights), and (Human Rights Indicators: A Manual to Measurement and Implementation), and the methodology of the Asia-Pacific Forum (APF) in the field of monitoring and documentation in its manual entitled (Conducting Effective Investigations), in addition to the relevant documents that will be presented and distributed.

The workshops and training are being run by Ms. Samisha Riahah, Training Programmes Officer at the Arab Institute for Human Rights, former chairwoman of the Regional Committee for Human Rights of the National Council for Human Rights in the Kingdom of Morocco, and Mr. Walid Al-Sheikh, lawyer and director of the Office in the Central West Bank of the Independent Commission for Human Rights in the State of Palestine. With the wide participation of members of civil society organisations and human rights defenders.