NIHR’s Council of Commissioners convenes its 10th Regular Meeting
24 Sep 2019
The National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR)’s Council of Commissioners convened its 10th regular meeting at the NIHR’s headquarters in the Seef District under the chairpersonship of Ms. Maria Khoury, Chairperson of the NIHR. During the meeting, a briefing was given on the work of the standing committees at the NIHR by the Head of the NIHR’s Committee on General Rights and Freedoms and the Head of the NIHR’s Committee on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty. In addition, a member of the NIHR’s Committee on Complaints, Monitoring and Follow-up presented a brief on the complaints received by the NIHR, the legal aids provided and monitoring cases via the media and social media, attendance of trial hearings and the actions taken thereupon.
The meeting also addressed the visits made by the NIHR to a number of reform and rehabilitation centers in Jaw area, the Dry Dock and Women’s Reform and Rehabilitation Center in Isa town during Ashura season, as it was ensured that all prisoners at these centers are practicing their religious rites without any discrimination and in accordance with the laws and regulations of these centers.
A briefing was also given on the visit made by the NIHR to the Reform and Rehabilitation Center in Jaw area, following the monitoring by the NIHR via the media and social media of the existence of a number of hunger strike cases among the detainees of the center. The delegation of the NIHR met with a number of hunger strikers and those who joined them in order to know the reasons for their strike and their demands. There were some legitimate demands that were transferred to the administration of the center. In addition, the NIHR’s delegation ensured that all the detainees have access to full health care. The NIHR was also keen to ensure that there was no exclusion or discrimination of any inmate as it is essential to apply the standards contained in the regulations in-force in the reform and rehabilitation centers and to leave the organizational matters to the discretion of the administration.
The Council commended the amendments made to the NIHR’s Incorporation Law in 2016, which broadened the scope of the work of the NIHR by granting it greater powers, especially those related to making declared and undeclared field visits to monitor the human rights situations in the correctional institutions, places of detention, labor gatherings, health and educational places and any other public place that is suspected to be a site for human rights violations.
The NIHR’s budget for the two fiscal years (2019 - 2020) was approved, which is contained in the Law No. (11) of 2019 on Approving the General State Budget for the Two Fiscal Years 2019 and 2020. Pursuant to Article (20) of the NIHR’s Incorporation Law, relating to the NIHR’s financial resources that enable it to better perform the burdens and tasks assigned to it, especially the provision of sub-article (b) thereof: “The Council shall consider the possibility of accepting donations and unconditional financial aids that are consistent with the NIHR’s objectives, in line with the laws and regulations in-force in the Kingdom of Bahrain, with a view to develop the NIHR’s work and disseminate and promote human rights”.
The Council further addressed the NIHR’s participation in regional and international forums during the last period, where a briefing was given on the NIHR’s participation in the 3rd Arab Regional Conference on the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights, which was organized by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in cooperation with the Secretariat-General of the League of Arab States in Cairo, in addition to the NIHR’s participation in the Communications Network Workshop for National Human Rights Institutions at the Asia-Pacific Forum (APF), which was held in Ulan Bator city in Mongolia, and the 24th Meeting of National Institution Members to APF, which was held in Seoul in South Korea.
The Council also reviewed a number of meetings held with the ministries and agencies with a view to extend bridges of cooperation, including the meeting held between the NIHR and the Supreme Council of Environment, during which two liaison officers were appointed to facilitate and coordinate cooperation between them to serve human rights and environmental issues, and the meeting held with His Excellency Attorney-General, during which they discussed the possibility of cooperation with the NIHR and competent authorities to implement the provisions of the Law No. (18) of 2017 on Alternative Penalties and Measures.
The Chairperson of the NIHR presented an introductory lecture to the members of the Council of Commissioners in order to introduce the NIHR’s role, competencies and permanent committees, as well as the mechanism of writing reports on the visits made by the NIHR to the reform and rehabilitation centers. The Council concluded its meeting with the adoption of the report of the Secretariat-General’s work for the 2nd quarter of 2019.
