NIHR Organizes 2nd Remote Forum with Civil Society Organizations operating in the Field of preserving the Right to an Appropriate Environment
In line with its role in promoting and spreading a culture of human rights in the Kingdom of Bahrain and extending bridges of cooperation with civil society organizations, the National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR) has organized the 2nd Forum for Civil Society Organizations operating in the Field of preserving the Right in an Appropriate Environment, through videoconference. Representatives of a number of civil society organizations related to the environment in the Kingdom of Bahrain have participated in the forum.
The event was opened by Mr. Khaled Abdul-Aziz Al-Sha’er, NIHR Vice-Chairman, who thanked all the participants for their permanent cooperation with the NIHR, noting that organizing this forum is based upon the NIHR’s responsibility and role towards civil society, which is an essential partner in the promotion and protection of human rights on the one hand, and in providing members of these organizations with knowledge and refining the skills of their staff in the training field on the other hand, in order to secure sustainable protection for human rights on the territory of the Kingdom of Bahrain through joint cooperation in the field of receiving complaints, providing legal aid and monitoring the human rights situation, in addition to cooperation in examining the appropriateness of legislative and regulatory texts of regional and international treaties concerned with human rights issues and to recommending appropriate legislative amendments.
The forum, which was moderated by the NIHR Vice-Chairman, included three main themes through which the community partnership between civil society organizations, the competent official bodies and the National Institution for Human Rights were highlighted, with a view to developing ways to exercise all rights, especially the right to maintaining an appropriate environment. Cooperation between the NIHR and civil society organizations was identified in the first theme, especially in the field of receiving complaints and legal assistance provided and building capacity of staff in these organizations. through organizing training courses and exchanging expertise and experiences in the field of human rights and the environment.
The second theme discussed how the NIHR can be a link between civil society organizations and official bodies, by examining the appropriateness of legislative and regulatory texts with regional and international treaties concerned with issues of the right to maintaining an appropriate environment and recommending legislative amendments that it deems appropriate, and holding forums and consultative meetings with the concerned national authorities with a view to resolving important issues in the field of environment, in addition to adopting important environmental issues and building an integrated awareness programme about them, while ensuring the appropriate degree of coordination with these organizations.
The third and last theme discussed the mechanism of identifying difficulties and challenges faced by civil society organizations, each within its competence, and how the NIHR can provide support and assistance so that it can then determine the appropriate methods, which fall within its powers, to provide appropriate support and assistance in order to develop the role of civil society organizations and encourage the government to provide more support to civil society organizations operating in the field of maintaining an appropriate environment.
