Meeting

The National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR)’s Council of Commissioners convened its 21^st regular meeting by teleconferencing.  The meeting was opened by the Chairperson of the NIHR, who reviewed the NIHR’s efforts in following-up and dealing with the precautionary measures taken by the Kingdom of Bahrain to combat the spread of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) and its efforts to ensure that everyone has access to human rights during the pandemic.

The Council then discussed the NIHR draft budget for the two financial years 2021 – 2020 and considered the possibility of activating the provision of Article (20/b) of the NIHR Incorporation Law on its financial resources that enable it to carry out the missions and tasks assigned to it to the fullest, including acceptance of “unconditional donations and aids in consistence with the NIHR’s goals and objectives, as approved by the Council of Commissioners, in accordance with the laws and regulations applicable in Bahrain”.

The Council also examined the actions taken with regard to the NIHR annual reports for the years 2018 and 2019 and discussed the methodology for preparing the NIHR annual report for the current year 2020.

The Council concluded its meeting by discussing the course of the visit conducted by the NIHR to the housing of workers at the Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard (ASRY) Company, which aimed to examine the conditions of the rights of expatriate workers and ensure their access to their human rights guaranteed to them under the provisions of the Constitution and the relevant international and regional agreements, especially under the current exceptional conditions witnessed by Bahrain and the whole world in the face of the emerging Coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19).  A detailed report will be prepared on the NIHR recommendations on such visit to be submitted to the concerned bodies and authorities, noting that the membership of the Council consists of the NIHR Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Heads of Permanent Committees and Secretary-General.