Attorney General opens regional conference marking 10th anniversary of Special Investigation Unit

Manama, Feb. 27 (BNA): A conference “The Effective Role of National Bodies and Mechanisms in the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights” was held today. The conference, under the patronage of Attorney General Dr Ali bin Fadul Al Buainain was organized by the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) on the 10th anniversary of its establishment, in cooperation with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and thr Judicial and Legal Studies Institute via video conferencing. In his opening speech, the Attorney General underlined that Bahrain, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, is rich in pioneering development and human rights achievements in ensuring human rights and public freedoms. The national mechanisms concerned with the protection of human rights have become among the foundations of national action, to create an integrated human rights system that works on the rule of law and ensure accountability, which leads to building and sustaining peace, achieving comprehensive development in the country, and the implementation of procedural legitimacy as one of the basic assets of criminal trials. Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Abdullatif Al Zayani stressed in his speech that HM the King’s reform approach is based on consolidating respect and protection of human rights, strengthening the democratic process and continuing the comprehensive development efforts of the Kingdom in a way that achieves economic, social, cultural and developmental benefits for citizens and residents. He added that the complementary role of the national mechanisms concerned with the protection of human rights, in cooperation with the various official public agencies, is the mainstay for spreading a culture of promoting protection and respect for human rights. The minister praised the positive and responsible role of SIU in exercising its competencies that has reinforced the importance of its existence as one of the national redress mechanisms. UNDP Acting Head in Bahrain Aykan Mukanpitova said that close cooperation with the national mechanisms concerned with achieving criminal justice in various fields has contributed to building and strengthening legal and structural capacities; to continue carrying out its activities in accordance with international standards and protocols. This promotes human rights and achieves sustainable development goals, she said. SIU Head also indicated that this conference is an extension of the conference on the protection of human rights in the criminal justice system, held in Bahrain in 2019, regarding the role of national mechanisms in protecting and promoting human rights. It concluded with a number of legal and human rights recommendations, including the generalization of the experience of Bahraini national mechanisms concerned with human rights in the criminal justice system, to decisively implement the rule of laws and strive to respect international conventions and covenants. During its sessions, the conference dealt with several topics including the national efforts in the protection and promotion of human rights, the stages Bahraini legislation development and its compliance with international conventions and standards, with a review of the effective role of national bodies and mechanisms in achieving criminal justice, and international experiences in dealing with crimes of torture and inhuman treatment. The sessions and discussions concluded with recommendations, that included emphasizing the importance of research and training in the field of crime prevention and prevention, the role of modern technologies and emerging solutions in combating crime and strengthening criminal justice mechanisms, while intensifying national efforts to establish a culture of respect for the law and its rule. They also called for work on an innovative use of the media in promoting societal awareness of ways to access national mechanisms concerned with achieving criminal justice.