Human Rights Updates

■ (2/12/2010): The Minister of Social Development stressed the need to incorporate the growing numbers of people with disability in Bahrain, which has reached 6678, in order to meet the MDGs. She also said that the Government had agreed to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability after being passed by Parliament.

■ (4/12/2010): The Secretary General of the General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions, Salman Al Mahfooz criticized the Government for issuing the Civil Service Law, by Decree No. 48 for 2010, without consulting the Federation. Al Mahfooz demanded that the Legislative Authority play its role in any amendment to the Law.

■ (8/12/2010): On the occasion of the International Day for Human Rights, the Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa stressed that respecting human rights is an essential indicator of progress for any nation, and that no nation can advance if it does not have human rights at the heart of its agenda.

■ (10/12/2010): On the same occasion, the Democratic Progressive Forum Society issued a statement The statement stressed that restricting freedom of expression does not coincide with Bahrain’s international obligations. It also criticized what it referred to as “the comprehensive war on internet websites and the publications of political societies.”

■ (21/12/2010): On 20-21 December 2010, a Bahraini delegation participated in the Regional Forum on Human Rights in the Gulf States held in Doha. The Forum discussed the implementation of the recommendations of the international mechanisms on human rights.

■ (22/12/2010): The Bahrain Foreign Ministry issued a report in both Arabic and English regarding the rights and work conditions of foreign workers. The report discusses the condition of foreign workers and the mechanisms that are in place to deal with any violations.

■ (24/12/2010): In December 2010, the Office of Financial and Administrative Control started the inspection of the Civil Society Administration Unit at the Ministry of Social Development. This is in order to verify the competency and effectiveness of the internal regulations and operations of the Unit.

■ (30/12/2010): the Ministry of Social Development organised a workshop on the Juvenile Law and the International Convention on The Right of the Child, which the Kingdom of Bahrain had joined in 1991. The head of the Legal Affairs Section at the Ministry, Abduallah Al Jawdar gave a lecture during the event. The workshop is part of the Ministry’s training plan for psychiatrists who work in all of its institutions and centres.