Meeting

The Council of Commissioners of the National Institution for Human Rights convened its 7th regular meeting under the Chairpersonship of Dr. Abdul-Aziz Abul, Chairperson of Council of Commissioners on Monday 28th March 2016 at the NIHR's headquarter in the Seef District. Some items on the agenda were discussed. The Council's members reviewed a study prepared by the Economic, Social and Cultural Committee on lifting Government's subsidies on some commodities and services rendered by the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the impact thereof on the living standards of individual citizens within the kingdom.

In accordance with the   executive by-laws regulating  the NIHR's work and Specific Standing Committees' membership, the formation of  Specific Standing Committees for the period from April 2016 to March 2017 has been approved.  Each committee held a procedural meeting during which a chairman was elected. The outcomes thereof were are follows:

- Civil and Political Rights Committee, Chairperson: Ms. Jamila Ali Salman, members: Mr. Khalid Al Shaer and Dr. Badr Mohammed Adel.

- Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Committee, Chairperson: Mr. Fareed Ghazi Rafea, members: Dr. Jamila Al Samak and Dr. Abdurrahman Gawahri.

- Complaints, Monitoring and Following Up Committee, Chairperson: Mrs. Maya Khouri,  members: Dr. Badr Mohammed Adel, Dr. Maid Hussein and Dr. Mona Hijras.

In addition, the code of conduct for members of the NIHR's Council of Commissioners was approved and the Report on the work of the Secretary General for the 4th Quarter of 2015 was approved.

For his part Mr. Abdullah Alderazi – Vice chairperson and Head of NIHR's delegation briefed the Council on the NIHR's participation at the 29th annual meeting of the HR International Coordinating Committee (ICC) of National Institutions for the Promotion & Protection of Human Rights,  which has been  recalled the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI). The  meeting was held during the period from 21 to 23 March in the Palace of Nations in Geneva. The NIHR's delegation also  participated in the last week of the 31st round of the Human Rights Council.

For her part, Mrs. Marie Khouri, Chairperson of Complaints, Monitoring and Following Up Committee, presented  an overview of the complaints and legal assistance requests received during the last period and the procedures taken regarding them,  in addition to the work done by the NIHR in monitoring the human rights situations in the Kingdom whether through local newspapers or the social media.

At the end of the meeting, the Council of Commissioners decided to convene the next Council of Commissioners' meeting in May 2016.