Manama, January 17 (BNA) –Arab Commission for Human Rights (ACHT) issued final remarks and recommendations for the first report of Kingdom of Bahrain submitted to it in the framework of the states parties’ commitment to submit periodic reports to (ACHR).
(ACHR) held its regular meeting No. 18 during the period from December 25 to 28,2012 in Cairo to prepare for holding the third term for the committee in February, 2013, where they discussed in it Bahrain’s first report submitted to (ACHR) on the measures taken to apply the provisions of Arab Charter on Human Rights, which was approved at the Arab summit held in Tunisia in 2004.

The Commission praised in its report the early ratification of Kingdom of Bahrain on the Arab Charter on Human Rights, and the interactive dialogue it held with the high level state’s delegation chaired by Minister of Human Rights, which included representatives from the various ministries and institutions.

The Commission appreciated Kingdom of Bahrain’s formation of the Bahraini Independent Commission of Inquiry following the tragic events during the months of February and March, 2011, and working on implementing its recommendations to maintain the process of national reconciliation.

The Commission’s final remarks and recommendations included a great tribute of the human rights of Kingdom of Bahrain, and Bahrain’s enhancement of developing its legislative and administrative system to reinforce and preserve human rights, lauding Bahrain’s accession to many international charters concerned with human rights.

The Commission also welcomed the important constitutional amendments, in addition to the amendments on the penal code, and the law of criminal procedures in regard of the crime of torture, as well as the establishment of the Ombudsman, and the issuance of a code of conduct for the policemen.

The Commission welcomed the issuance of the Children’s Act and the adoption of the national strategy for people with disabilities, the law of insurance against unemployment and to increase the representation of women in elected bodies.

The Commission valued the Kingdom’s initiative calling for the establishment of an Arab Court for Human Rights, and the amendment on article No. 81 of Security Forces Act No. 49/2012 under which the exception of offenses relating to the allegations of cases of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or death associated with them to be considered as military crimes.

The Commission recommended Kingdom of Bahrain to the need to intensify efforts to raise awareness of the rights enshrined in the Charter among the judiciary, the personnel who enforce the law, and also among the public.

The Commission recommended the need to harmonize national legislation with the provisions of the Charter and called for the unification of the age of the child in the Kingdom legislation, and to speed up the issuance of the law of reform and rehabilitation institutions, as well as maintaining efforts to pass a law to protect the family from domestic violence.

The Commission recommended developing a national plan to ensure sustainable development, while preserving the right to a healthy environment as well as strengthening the programmes of tolerance and brotherhood, openness to others and to integrate all of these issues into the curricula, educational activities and official and non-official training programmes.

The Commission recommended the acceleration of enacting a legislation that ensures granting nationality to children of Bahraini mothers married to foreigners.

The Commission highlighted the importance of encouraging tolerance, the culture of brotherhood and openness on the other in addition to integrate them into the curricula, educational activities and official and non-official training programmes.

For his part, Chairman of (ACHT) Dr. Abdul Raheem Al-Awadhi deeply thanked Kingdom of Bahrain for its commitment to present the first report on the measures taken to implement human rights and the freedoms enshrined in the Charter.

The (ACHT) thanked the government of Kingdom of Bahrain and its delegation participating in the interactive dialogue in the session which was allocated to discuss the report at the headquarters of the General Secretariat.

For its part, Ministry of Human Rights Affairs welcomed the report of the Charter’s Committee (ACHT) which included a number of remarks and recommendations that will be studied with the relevant parties, and the contents of the report to be referred for study at the High Coordinating Committee for Human Rights to take the appropriate decision.

Ministry of Human Rights Affairs also asserted that Kingdom of Bahrain spares no efforts in cooperating with all U.N. and regional official bodies concerned with human rights, and welcomes all the remarks and recommendations aiming at developing and reinforcing the human rights system.

MR

BNA 1656 GMT 2014/01/17