UPR Info

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

Bahrain is committed to establishing a national human rights institution at the earliest opportunity, bearing in mind the relevant United Nations resolutions and, in particular, the Paris Principles. In fact, in November 2007, the Cabinet issued a decision on the establishment of a national human rights institution. Once the institution has been established, it is expected to design a national action plan for the promotion and protection of human rights in the Kingdom.

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.

Awareness-raising and support for the full participation of civil society, beginning with follow-up to the consideration of Bahrain's report in April 2008.

Bahrain is currently examining the idea of creating an inter-ministerial human rights mechanism to guarantee the implementation of the recommendations made by the international treaty bodies to which Bahrain reports.

Bahrain is determined to strengthen its capacities in order to ensure: Timely submission of reports under these treaties [under the international human rights treaties which it has ratified and signed].

Submission of a report, during the next review, on the fulfilment of existing voluntary pledges.

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

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

Approval of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol

In order to strengthen implementation of its obligations under human rights treaties, Bahrain will explore the possibility of creating a working group made up of government ministries with competence for human rights to carry out coordination and follow-up activities.

Ongoing cooperation with OHCHR for the investigation, dissemination and respond to complaints put forward to special mechanisms and procedures with regard to alleged violations of human rights in the country, to present, co-sponsor and support according to the need, draft resolutions which condemn practices that are systematic violations of human rights in any part of the world, to maintain an open and ongoing invitation for cooperation with the special procedures and mechanisms, both from the United Nations system and the Inter-American system, so that they can come and see in situ what the human rights situation is in the country, to support the adoption of new instruments for protecting and promoting human rights internationally

The Government will furthermore support and strengthen national capacities in implementing its human rights obligations, including those of the police, law enforcement personnel, prison and security officers, the media, non-governmental organizations and development actors.

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".

Penitentiary rehabilitation: designing a model for social insertion and a model for an infrastructure compliant with human rights standards, building of seven new penitentiary centres based on the model of social insertion

The delegation stated that Finland was committed to reaching the goal of 0.7 per cent ODA by 2015, as set by the United Nations, and 0.51 per cent ODA by 2010, as set by the European Union.

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

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

In the same line, Argentina pledges to recognize the competence of the Committee under the International Convention for the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.

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 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).

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

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 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

Examination of the idea of creating a national action plan to implement the outcome of the universal periodic review

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

Preventing and combating the crime of trafficking in persons, effective implementation of a national plan of action to combat the crime of trafficking in persons

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

Poland pledges to further improve the situation of disabled persons. Due to its limited effectiveness, a review of the current system of vocational and social rehabilitation and employment of disabled persons, particularly with regard to vocational ctivation, will be carried out