Country detail - yourHRC.org

Bahrain

Regional group:

Asia – Pacific Group (APG)

Council member:

2006-2007

2007-2008

2008-2009

2009-2010

2010-2011

2011-2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

Council Bureau membership:	–
Coordinator of regional group:	–
Voluntary financial contribution to OHCHR (2023) :

Other HRC positions:	–
OHCHR presence:	– No field presence
NHRI accreditation status:	B

National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting, and Follow-up (NMIRF): Unknown

Engagement with the HRC

Principal sponsorship of HRC resolutions

Technical assistance and capacity-building for Yemen in the field of human rights.

Voting record

Since it first became a member of the Council in 2006, Bahrain has (in the absence of consensus) voted against item 4 resolutions (situations that require the Council’s attention) on the situation in Sudan but has voted in favour of resolutions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Iran, and Myanmar. It has abstained on item 4 texts dealing with the situations in Belarus, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Syria, and Burundi. For item 7 resolutions (human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories), Bahrain has consistently voted in favour of or joined consensus on all texts. On item 10 resolutions (capacity-building), Bahrain has joined consensus on all resolutions except: a 2009 resolution on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Bahrain voted in favour); it further abstained from four item 10 resolutions (two resolutions each on Ukraine and Georgia). For thematic resolutions dealing with civil and political rights, Bahrain has generally joined consensus. Where there has been a vote, Bahrain has nearly always voted in favour. The exceptions are: 2019 resolutions on the death penalty (voted against both); a 2011 vote on sexual orientation (Bahrain voted against); a 2009 vote on religious discrimination (abstention); and a 2009 vote on torture (abstention). For thematic resolutions dealing with economic, social and cultural rights, Bahrain has either joined consensus on, or has voted in favour of, all adopted texts.

HRC participation

During HRC general discussions, panel debates and interactive dialogues with the Special Procedures, during the past three years, either as an HRC member or not, the State has joined:

Regional
group statements

Average of statements for all countries: 98

284

Subregional
group statements

Average of statements for all countries: 46

125

Political group
statements

Average of statements for all countries: 109

Cross-regional
group statements

Average of statements for all countries: 61

Other joint
statements

Average of statements for all countries: 5

HRC member empty chair?

Overall, as a HRC member, has participated in more than 10% of panel discussions, general debates and interactive dialogues.

Cooperation with international human rights system

Special Procedures

Standing invitation

Communications responded to / received

Visits requests status

Completed
Invitation sent by the State not (yet) accepted by the SP
Accepted / date set
Visit request by the SP and not (yet) accepted by the State
Postponed / cancelled

Longest visit request not (yet) accepted by the State >
SR on torture, 2011

Treaty Bodies

Ratified

Reporting Status

Ratification status
Party Not Party
Individual complaint procedure accepted.
Reporting status

Submitted on time
Submitted late
Not applicable

On schedule
Overdue (outstanding)

CAT

ICCPR

CED

CEDAW

CERD

ICESCR

CRC

CRPD

Most overdue report

None overdue

OP-CAT

Ratified

NPM established

Universal Periodic Review

Reported

(2008, 2012, 2017)

Mid-term report

1st, 2nd & 3rd cycles

Level of delegation

Minister

Participation in other reviews
1^st cycle: 24 / 192

2^nd cycle: 61 / 192

Cooperation with the UN, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights

Cited in the Secretary General’s reports on 'alleged reprisals for cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights' (2010-2023)?

YES

Response to allegations from government concerned?
YES

Fulfilment of past voluntary pledges & commitments

Specific voluntary pledges: 2

Bahrain tabled voluntary pledges and commitments in support for its candidacy for membership for the period 2019-2021 on 31 August 2018.

At domestic level, Bahrain undertook to: continue its efforts in promoting the empowerment of women and equal opportunities between men and women; enact new legislation to protect and guarantee the rights of the child; combating trafficking in persons; promote the rights of persons with disabilities and their integration into society and continue to provide for the special technical and accessibility needs of persons with disabilities in all State enterprises and public places; continue its role in supporting initiatives to promote religious freedom and eliminate any incitement to sectarianism, violence, antinationalism, religious or racial hatred; protect workers’ rights; continue to strengthen human rights bodies in their preventive and protective activities, such as the National Institution for Human Rights, the Prisoners and Detainees Rights Commission, the Special Investigations Unit and the Ombudsman; implement the received UPR recommendations; and continue to expand the scope of the various existing national strategies and plans aimed at guaranteeing, propagating, protecting and promoting human rights.

At international level, Bahrain made commitments to continue to cooperate with the Treaty Bodies; the OHCHR, and the UN specialised agencies; implement the 2030 Agenda, and submit a UPR mid-term report.

An analysis of Bahrain’s pledge shows that although it generally submits its periodic reports to the Treaty Bodies, it tends to report late. Bahrain fulfilled its pledge to submit a UPR mid-term report (1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd cycles). Bahrain is yet to sign and ratify the CMW and the CRC-OP-IC. Bahrain’s UN Country Team is composed of representatives of 21 United Nations funds, programmes and specialised agencies.

Bahrain

Asia – Pacific Group (APG)

Engagement with the HRC

Principal sponsorship of HRC resolutions

Voting record

HRC participation

HRC member empty chair?

Cooperation with international human rights system

Special Procedures

Standing invitation

Communications responded to / received

Visits requests status

Treaty Bodies

Ratified

Reporting Status

Universal Periodic Review

Participation in other reviews 1st cycle: 24 / 192

2nd cycle: 61 / 192

Cooperation with the UN, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights

Fulfilment of past voluntary pledges & commitments

Specific voluntary pledges: 2

Participation in other reviews
1^st cycle: 24 / 192

2^nd cycle: 61 / 192