UPR Info

Argentina reaffirms its commitment to continue strengthening the protection of human rights at a universal and regional level, and also to preserve and strengthen the role of NGOs in the promotion and defence of human rights.

Argentina will promote the adoption by the Human Rights Council of a declaration on the right to truth and memory.

Argentina commits itself to put into practice the mechanism contained in the Optional Protocol of the Convention against Torture and to continue the implementation of the National Plan to Combat Discrimination in all its aspects, and also to promote the second stage of the National Plan of Human Rights

Argentina has initiated the procedure towards the recognition of the competence of the Committee of the Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance to examine individual or inter-State communications.

Bahrain affirms that it will include information in its future reports on the outcome of the universal periodic review and its impact on the human rights situation on the ground.

Bahrain is currently examining the need for comprehensive national action plan on human rights

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 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.

Continue to participate actively in meetings of the Economic and Social Council and its various commissions and in the General Assembly and Security Council.

Although there are no cases of torture in the Kingdom, Bahrain's steadfast desire to enhance the professionalism of law enforcement personnel has prompted it to ask the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for assistance in developing and improving human rights curricula and training courses.

Bahrain is committed to contributing to the current process of human rights standard-setting at the United Nations and to participating in United Nations human rights forums where human rights standards are discussed (for example, the Forum on Minority Issues, which is due to meet in Geneva in September 2008).

Bahrain is determined to strengthen its capacities in order to ensure: Effective implementation of its obligations under the international human rights treaties which it has ratified and signed.

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

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

Creation of an effective mechanism to deal with cases of neglect by private sector institutions of workers' housing.

In recognition of the importance of the special procedures and the mechanisms of the Human Rights Council, Bahrain pledges to: - Respond in a timely manner to requests for official visits from special rapporteurs, special representatives, independent experts and working groups. It will develop effective policies and mechanisms to respond to these requests.

Law enforcement agencies will increase the number of training courses and workshops that they run on the protection and promotion of human rights.

The Ministry of Interior consistently states that it has no objection to peaceful demonstrations provided they are conducted lawfully and participants do not engage in criminal acts of rioting.

Harmonization of domestic law with international human rights norms, amendments to the Criminal Code, adoption of the anti-discrimination law and, promoting the adoption of a law on crimes against humanity with a view to incorporating the provisions of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court

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

Bahrain affirms its willingness to cooperate with the Committee against Torture on the implementation of article 20 of the Convention.

Bahrain is currently examining the idea of drafting a national action plan on human rights education as soon as possible, in conjunction with relevant entities and organizations in Bahrain, and with expert input from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Bahrain is fully committed to supporting non-governmental organizations through legal and other instruments so as to develop a constructive dialogue with these organizations and other stakeholders.

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

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 keeping with domestic law and Bahrain's pledges under the international human rights treaties, the periodic review will be used as a further opportunity to promote the use of existing means of redress and explore any concrete measures that may be helpful in this regard.

It has asked the Human Rights Council for technical assistance to help it run human rights training courses and workshops for law enforcement personnel and members of the Prosecution Service and the judiciary.

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.

Commitments undertaken to promote the collective rights of afro-Ecuadorian and indigenous peoples, dissemination through a broad process of the outcome of the conference on the elimination of racial discrimination to be held next year in Geneva, adoption of the recommendations made by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people with regard to free and equal access to services in the administration of justice

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