Manama: Bahrain has denied reports that a United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) office would be opened in Manama next month.
“The report is not true and lacks accuracy and credibility,” the Ministry of Human Rights Affairs said in a statement. “Opening a UNHRC office is a sovereign decision that requires the approval of the Bahraini government. The issue has not been taken up with the competent authorities and Bahrain does not need to have such an office in the foreseeable or distant future.”
The ministry said that Bahrain was determined to continue protecting human rights, as stipulated in the constitution, and to move forward to upgrade national human rights legislation.
The statement added that the ministry would carry on with its efforts to bring legal texts in line with the recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI), the National Dialogue and the UN Human Rights Council.
The BICI, a panel of international legal experts, was set up by Bahrain to look into the events that hit the country in February and March 2011 and to determine responsibilities.
In November, the commission issued a report that included several recommendations to help ensure that the events would not be repeated. The government accepted the report and pledged to implement its recommendations, setting up an ad-hoc commission to follow up the application with all concerned parties.
Bahrain has said that it would work closely with UN institutions to benefit from their expertise and that it welcomed visits by UN officials and prominent human rights organisations.
“There are planned visits by UN officials according to specific schedules. However, the opening of a UNHRC office is not the agenda of any of the meetings,” the ministry said.
