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Summary: The government of Bahrain recently submitted a mid-term UPR report, which documented their implementation progress on recommendations they accepted during their review. CRIN has highlighted the government's response to children's rights recommendations accepted. What is a mid-term report? States are encouraged to voluntarily submit update reports on the steps they are taking to implement the recommendations made to them during their reviews.
In addition to posting the full mid-term report (see above), CRIN has extracted the children's rights recommendations accepted by Bahrain, together with the government's response on how they are implementing the recommendations.
Implementation progress on accepted recommendations
Creating a database concerning human rights and supporting it with relevant information :
Universal Periodic Review Website
On 2 December 2009, a website for Bahrain’s Universal Periodic Review was launched (www.upr.bh). The website is the first of its kind in the field of UPR and includes information and documents on human rights such as the UN Conventions and their Committees as well as other human rights resources. The website also includes a variety of information on thematic human rights such as the rights of women and children, the right to work, non-discrimination and
other rights. It provides information about Bahrain’s efforts, activities and national laws pertinent to human rights.
Implementing Bahrain’s human rights obligations in line with International human rights conventions :
Family Law
The King of Bahrain issued Royal Decree No. 19 (2009) on the Family Law (Section One) after the Law was approved by Nuwab and Shura Councils. The Kingdom of Bahrain seeks to achieve community consensus that would allow the issuance of the Section Two of the Family Law.
In 2010, the Supreme Council for Women will work on a study regarding the implementation of the Family Law.
A number of training courses were conducted in 2009, such as:
(a) Rights of the concerned parties in marriage agreements.
(b) A Campaign on Women’s Rights within the marriage document.
(c) A workshop on the effects of domestic violence, meant for journalists and the youth.
(d) A training course on how to use the Family Law in judicial processes before Shari’a courts.
(e) A training course on the right to legal assistance for women with special needs.
Nationality:
The Supreme Council for Women recommended to His Majesty, the King, to amend article (4) of the 1963 Citizenship Law so that Bahraini women married to non-Bahrainis can pass their nationality on to the children. The law should be amended according to rules and criteria guaranteeing both women’s right to equality and the sovereignty of the State.
Recently, 372 children of Bahraini women were granted Bahraini nationality through a Royal Order.
Law No. 35 (2009) aims at ensuring equal treatment in governmental, health, education, residential and other services for non-Bahraini women married to Bahrainis as well as for children of Bahraini women married to non-Bahrainis.
Applying a human rights based approach and methodology in development programs .
Human Rights and Education:
-Reinforcement of human rights culture among children at the primary level was initiated. Human
rights education is already a part of the syllabus for all grades starting from the first to the twelfth grade.
Strengthening the normative framework for human rights .
Workshop on “The Rights of The Child” :
On 26 and 27 October 2009, the UPR Steering Committee, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO),
organized a workshop on the “Rights of the Child”. This workshop was conducted within the framework of implementing Bahrain’s voluntary commitment which entails spreading a human rights culture throughout Bahraini society.
The workshop discussed important topics related to the principles and the characteristics of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, methods and goals of modern education, how to establish a friendly education environment and the appropriate methods to promote children rights through various means including school curricula. Participants also reviewed how teaching methods could
be more appropriate to children’s rights and which would enable them to absorb human rights concepts in a simplified way. Among the participants were teachers from different educational levels.
Our aspirations for the future .
• Protect children and ensure protection of their rights.