Blow to UN bid
By GEOFFREY BEW
Published: 18thMay 2008
A GROUP of societies yesterday pledged not to support Bahrain’s candidacy for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council unless it improves civil liberties.
Eleven political and human rights organisations are demanding that the government makes a firm commitment to ratify several international conventions and recommendations.
Blow to UN bid
By GEOFFREY BEW
Published: 18thMay 2008
A GROUP of societies yesterday pledged not to support Bahrain’s candidacy for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council unless it improves civil liberties.
Eleven political and human rights organisations are demanding that the government makes a firm commitment to ratify several international conventions and recommendations.
These include introducing legislation to improve the rights of migrant workers such as housemaids, prevent racial discrimination, give redress to alleged victims of torture, introduce citizenship equality and protect the role of human rights activists. The document was unveiled at a Press conference at the Bahrain Human Rights Society (BHRS), Adliya, yesterday.
It will be presented to Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Nazar Al Baharna during a scheduled meeting tomorrow.
The signatories include the Bahrain Human Rights Society, now-dissolved Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR), Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights and various political societies.
BHRS advisor Abdulnabi Al Ekri said Non-Government Organisations’ (NGOs) support for Bahrain’s membership of the Human Rights Council was conditional on the government undertaking a commitment to implement the outstanding obligations and recommendations.
“If Bahrain’s candidacy is supported by civil society organisations, it will add credibility,” he said.
BCHR vice-president Nabeel Rajab added the document only urged Bahrain to fulfil its international obligations.
“These were commitments made by Bahrain that are not yet implemented or recommendations from various UN reports that have not been followed,” he told the GDN.
“These are obligations that should have been done long ago but the government appeared to be reluctant to do it.”
An advanced, unedited version of the UN council’s Universal Periodic Review welcomed the adoption of the National Action Charter in 2001 and the creation of an inter-ministerial taskforce to tackle human trafficking.
It also praised Bahrain for the significant achievements it had made on the status of women.
In April, the government also announced plans to set up a National Institution for Human Rights by the end of the year, increased inspections of labour camps and better protection of domestic workers, who are excluded from the country’s labour laws.
Dr Al Baharna revealed a host of other initiatives as part of a National Action Plan, including the creation of a taskforce to ensure the government complies with its international human rights commitments.
Bahrain’s Permanent Representative to UN Industrial Development Organisation Abdulla Abdullatif Abdulla said earlier this month that the country stands a good chance of being elected to the council.
The 192-member UN General Assembly will vote on May 21 in New York.
Mr Abdulla was responding to criticism by two human rights groups opposing its candidature to the council, describing it as “unwarranted and unfounded”. geoff@gdn.com.bh
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