By MANDEEP SINGH
Published: 11th April 2008
BAHRAIN has emerged largely unscathed from United Nations scrutiny of its human rights performance. Recommendations from an examination in Geneva are limited to improving women’s rights and prospects, better protection for maids and citizenship rights for the children of Bahraini women married to foreigners.
Bahrain has already agreed to one of the key recommendations, that it will consider signing the Convention on the Protection of Persons from Enforced Disappearances.
By MANDEEP SINGH
Published: 11th April 2008
BAHRAIN has emerged largely unscathed from United Nations scrutiny of its human rights performance. Recommendations from an examination in Geneva are limited to improving women’s rights and prospects, better protection for maids and citizenship rights for the children of Bahraini women married to foreigners.
Bahrain has already agreed to one of the key recommendations, that it will consider signing the Convention on the Protection of Persons from Enforced Disappearances.
The recommendations came after Bahrain became the first country to have its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) examined by the UN’s Human Rights Council, Geneva.
The recommendations were adopted by the council and accepted by Bahrain after a late night session on Wednesday.
The council urged Bahrain to initiate a public campaign to remove reservations to the UN Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.
It also urged Bahrain to conduct wide consultations between different partners, in particular the legislative authority, with the view of adopting a family law and look at formulating a draft law on the provision of citizenship to children of Bahraini women married to foreigners.
The council also said it should be informed at the time of the next UPR, in four years, on the progress Bahrain has made on the adoption of new legislation to protect female domestic workers.
It also urged Bahrain not to make the draft Press law “unduly restrictive” on freedom of expression and said the UN should be invited to take part in a “follow-up” workshop to the UPR, to be held in Bahrain in the near future.
The UPR recommendations praised the “positive dynamism” of Bahrain’s information sector.
It also said the independence of the judiciary was preserved by the Constitution.
The council also commended the law against forced marriage and said any such acts were covered by the criminal code and the anti-trafficking law.
“Victims are entitled to remedies and protection in accordance with the laws of Bahrain and that is a very encouraging sign,” it said.
The meeting was attended by a high-profile Bahrain delegation, headed by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Nazar Al Baharna, as well as various national and international human rights groups.
The Bahrain status report was prepared by the Foreign Ministry in consultation with Non-Governmental Organisations and submitted to the council in February.
It was discussed on Tuesday and the recommendations were adopted a day later.
Commenting on the recommendations, the now-dissolved Bahrain Centre for Human Rights vice-president Nabeel Rajab, who also attended the event, said the meeting was not what they had expected it to be.
“Bahrain was the first to be evaluated and no one knew how to go about it,” he said.
“However, we still feel encouraged and hope that it would get better in the years to come.”
He said the recommendations, particularly on the domestic workers and the enforced disappearance of people, were very welcome.
He said from a non-governmental organisations’ point, the meeting was a failure because it was ‘hijacked’ with comments from Arab countries that were only interested in praising the government.
Mr Rajab said he also lamented the fact that they did not get the opportunity to speak, because they did not have approval from the government.
The Bahrain delegation at the Geneva meeting included Health Ministry Under-Secretary Dr Aziz Hamza, Shura Council services committee member Sameera Rajab, Foreign Ministry assistant under-secretary for Co-ordination and Follow-up Shaikh Abdul Aziz bin Mubarak Al Khalifa and Supreme Council for Women deputy chairwoman Dr Shaikha Mariam bint Hassan Al Khalifa.
mandeep@gdn.com.bh
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� Gulf Daily News
