Activities

NIHR Organizes the 4th Virtual Forum for Civil Society Organizations operating in the Field of Woman and Child’s Rights

The National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR) has organized the 4^th Forum for Civil Society Organizations operating in the Field of Woman and Child’s Rights, as part of its strategy and action plan to activate cooperation with civil society organizations, which was held virtually, with the participation of representatives of a number of civil society organizations concerned with woman and child’s rights in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

In his opening speech, Eng. Ali Ahmed Al-Derazi, Chairman of the NIHR, stated the importance of the role of civil society organizations towards society, being an essential partner of the NIHR in the promotion and protection of human rights, as well as the importance of strengthening joint cooperation with them in the field of receiving complaints, providing legal aids and monitoring the human rights situation, noting at the same time the permanent cooperation of those in charge of those organizations with the NIHR on developing the human rights system in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The forum, which was moderated by Mrs. Deena Abdul-Rahman Al-Ladhi, member of the NIHR Council of Commissioners, covered three main themes that highlighted community partnership between civil society organizations and the competent official authorities on the one hand and the NIHR on the other hand, with a view to developing ways to exercise all rights, including woman and child’s rights.

The first theme discussed aspects of cooperation between the NIHR and civil society organizations, especially in the field of receiving complaints and legal aids provided, and building the capacity of staff of those organizations through organizing training courses and changing expertise and experiences in the field of women’s rights, in addition to discussing ways to activate cooperation in the field of enlightening stakeholders to contribute to the promotion and protection of women’s rights, especially battered women.

The second theme discussed ways of communication between civil society organizations and official authorities, to examine convenience of legislative and regulating provisions of regional and international treaties concerned with women and children’s issues, and recommend legislative amendments they find appropriate, through holding consultation meetings and forums with the concerned national authorities, with a view to resolving fundamental issues related to woman and child’s rights.

The third and last theme discussed difficulties and challenges facing civil society organizations, each within their own competence, and how to support them in order to develop them on the one hand and urge the government to provide more support to civil society organizations operating in the field of human rights on the other hand.

A number of results and recommendations were reached at the end of the forum, aiming at strengthening and activating community partnership with civil society organizations, and activating cooperation in granting them greater powers in order to achieve common goals.