UPR Info

Bahrain studies and reviews the international human rights treaties to which it has yet to accede in order to assess the feasibility of acceding to them. It will seek international assistance and cooperation in order to strengthen individual and institutional capacities in this connection.

Bahrain undertakes to begin implementing the articles and provisions of the Act on trafficking in persons.

Bahrain will also explore the possibility of obtaining appropriate technical assistance to strengthen national implementation of the Convention [on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination].

Bahrain will consider seriously the possibility of enacting a law on combating racial discrimination.

Bahrain will continue its efforts to achieve comprehensive development, with the emphasis on the centrality of human rights in development and the importance of supporting a culture of human rights by all available means, including through education, the media, etc.

The Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination pointed out that Bahraini law provides no definition of racial discrimination that includes the criteria set out in article 1 of the Convention. The Committee also asked for additional information on housing. The Kingdom of Bahrain will duly include in its next report to the Committee additional information on the follow-up to the Committee's concluding observations and recommendations.

Poland will continue to combat and counteract racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and hate crimes. Although these phenomena are not common in Poland, the Government is nevertheless determined to implement a wide catalogue of preventive measures of an institutional, legal and educational nature. Poland will continue implementing and evaluating its Programme for the Roma community, the National Programme against Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance 2004-2009, and the law enforcement officer programme for combating hate crimes. Moreover, the existing network of Human Rights Advisers attached to the Police Commander-in-Chief and Voivodship Police Commanders-in-Chief will conduct ongoing monitoring of incidents, trends and crimes related to discrimination and misconduct of law enforcement authorities. They will also make analyses and elaborate proposals on the improvement of the quality and methods of the work of the law enforcement. It is also planned to create the institution of Human Rights Advisers attached to the Border Guard

Poland will continue to participate in the World Programme for Human Rights Education, within the first stage of which education on human rights has been introduced into the core curricula of general education at primary and middle schools. Moreover, the Ministry of National Education has launched a number of other measures to promote education on human rights and the rights of child. Training to prepare activities for the advancement of human rights and combating discrimination in local communities has been carried out under numerous projects

Poland will ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights aiming at the abolition of death penalty

Poland will reinforce actions to implement equal treatment of women and men. A national programme for gender equality for the years 2009-2013 will be prepared, and the draft, on which consultations will be held with social partners and NGO representatives, covers the following areas of action: 1/ Equal economic independence of women and men, including equality in the labour market 2/ Reconciliation of family life and career 3/ Participation in political life and decision-making 4/ Equality in the area of health care 5/ Eradication of all forms of gender-driven violence 6/ Eradication of gender stereotypes, including in schoolbooks and school curricula 7/ Promotion of gender equality in external relations and development policy The action plan for gender equality will reinforce the achievements of the Beijing Platform for Action and relevant international conventions, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. In 2008-2013, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy will carry out two projects involving research, training and promotion. The first one will be devoted to the reconciliation of career and family roles of women and men, and the second will be on the socio-economic activation of women at local and regional levels. In accordance with the draft law on equal treatment, the minister responsible for family matters and equal treatment, using data and analyses from independent research and in conjunction with other relevant bodies, will prepare a national programme against discrimination. The programme will determine adequate measures to: 1/ Raise social awareness of the root causes and effects of discrimination 2/ Counteract violations of the principle of equal treatment 3/ Establish cooperation with relevant social partners involved in implementing equal treatment

Withdrawal of reservations annexed to the law concerning ratification of CRC, given the evolution of Tunisian legislation and the enactment of new laws promoting the rights of the child

Poland will strengthen measures to reduce domestic violence. It indicated that current solutions need to be adjusted in light of the insufficient social awareness of the threats domestic violence poses to individuals, families and society as a whole, as well as insufficient assistance to victims of violence. An annual evaluation of the implementation of the National Programme to Counter Domestic Violence for 2006-2016 will constitute the basis for its adjustment to actual needs. Eradication of violence from the family environment can first and foremost be achieved through the implementation of programmes promoting positive methods of childrearing and partnership in the family, some of which are carried out in collaboration with the European Union and the Council of Europe. In 2008 the law against domestic violence and the National Programme to Counter Domestic Violence will be amended, resulting in: 1/ A complete ban on corporal punishment, and financial support for the implementation of projects against domestic violence at municipal level within the framework of the National Programme to Counter Domestic Violence 2/ The introduction of a warrant obliging the perpetrator to leave the house immediately after an incident of violence is reported by the victimThe introduction of cost-free forensic medical examinations

Tunisia decided to create an institution related to the General Human Rights Coordinator in charge of the follow-up to treaty bodies' recommendations in order to promote their effective implementation

Tunisia has agreed in principle to allow Human Rights Watch to visit prisons. This is part of its cooperation with international human rights organizations, particularly the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), following an agreement signed in April 2005

Tunisia will pursue, in 2008, its commitment to act for the promotion and respect of human rights, and to develop its cooperation with all the concerned parties at the national, regional and international levels

Tunisia's commitment to objectively and constructively contribute, at the level of examination and follow-up to its report, to promoting the UPR mechanism's modalities and objectives, as contained in General Assembly resolution 60/251, which includes "ensuring universality, objectivity and non-selectivity in the consideration of human rights issues" and making sure that "the promotion and protection of human rights [are] based on the principles of cooperation and genuine dialogue".

Bahrain will examine the possibility of issuing an annual or a periodic national report on the human rights situation on the ground.

Bahrain will explore the possibility of reviewing some of its existing reservations to the treaties to which it is a party. By way of example, Bahrain has already withdrawn its reservation to article 20 of the Convention against Torture.

Conduct a study on the feasibility of inviting officials of the special procedures system for consultations and discussions.

Continue to participate actively in follow-up to the proceedings of relevant conferences, including the forthcoming review of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action of the World Conference to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination.

In the area of application, dissemination and promotion of human rights: domestically, this includes strengthening the response and follow-up to the international commitments taken on by Ecuador, implementation of the evaluation process of the national plan of action, promoting the work of the National Commission for the Application of International Humanitarian Law and, the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance

In the area of persons with different sexual orientation, implementation of a national system to guarantee equality and non-discrimination

In the area of rights of persons with disabilities, full implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the promotion of relevant policies and targeted programmes to provide equal access to services and opportunities to persons with disabilities

In the area of the rights of migrants, follow-up to programmes and the national plan for the human development of migrants and the promotion and protection of migrants and their families

In the area of women's rights, promotion of democratic governance with equal opportunities for men and women, promoting a life free of violence, through the adoption of measures to prevent, eradicate, criminalize and punish violence against women, implementation of public policies and cross-cutting programmes, and the promotion of legislation to eliminate violence against women and children, development of laws and public policies to prevent and eradicate abuse, harassment and sexual exploitation of women and children, promotion of a gender perspective in the education system and in the implementation of social policies in the formal and non-formal education system, eradication of illiteracy, training of public and judicial officials, and in the criminal process of cases of domestic violence and sexual crimes against women and children

To continue to develop domestic legislation for further protection of the rights of the child

To maintain the momentum on addressing killings of activists and media professionals

Additional measures to level educational opportunities will be introduced. Poland will spare no effort to enable preschool-age children to enjoy their rights, among others through the creation of amenable conditions for developing various forms of preschool education, particularly in rural areas. The planned strategy for the development of education in rural areas for 2007-2013 will be attuned to the Government Programme for the development of education in rural areas in the years 2008-2013. The strategic aim of the programme is to upgrade the quality and level of education in rural areas. Implementation of the measures facilitating access for children from rural areas and small towns to quality education will continue until 2013

Measures will be introduced to streamline the implementation of the recommendations of the Human Rights Committee. The mandate of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Matters Concerning the European Court of Human Rights will be extended to integrate therewith decisions of the Human Rights Committee

Poland is also committed to continuing actions to reduce poverty and social exclusion, which will remain a priority in our national social policy. Poland indicated that a new national programme on social security and social integration for 2008-2010, now under preparation, will strengthen assistance to families for the purpose of counteracting poverty and social exclusion of children. These actions are meant to equalize the opportunities of families and children, i.e. to eliminate educational deficits and improve access to services that will enable parents to reconcile their professional activities with the upbringing of children. In addition, the national programme will determine specific goals, including, in particular, lowering the poverty index and the index of poverty risk among children to achieve that the following actions will be undertaken by Poland: 1/ Improvement of family incomes 2/ Development of the child day-care service system 3/ Levelling educational opportunities of and support for school-age children from poor Families 4/ Consolidating the system of assistance to families, family counselling, improvement of income support 5/ The development of cooperation with non-governmental organizations will also contribute to the effective combating of poverty and social exclusion