Bahrain – IMM situation

IMM name: The Higher Committee for the Care of Persons with Disabilities

IMM type: New established entity

CRPD ratification date: 30 June 2022

IMM legal framework: The committee was established according to Article 16 of Law No. 74 of 2006. The committee is reconstituted periodically, the latest of which is Resolution No. 5 of 2020, regarding the formation of the Higher Committee for the Care of Affairs of Persons with Disabilities.

Bahrain ratified the CRPD on 30 June 2022. The committee was established according to Article 16 of Law No. 74 of 2006. The committee is reconstituted periodically, the latest of which is Resolution No. 5 of 2020, regarding the formation of the Higher Committee for the Care of Affairs of Persons with Disabilities.

The Higher Committee for the Care of Persons with Disabilities is a National Human Rights Institution and was established as stipulated in Article 16 of Law No. 74 of 2006. This committee is chaired by the Minister of Labor and Social Development and includes in its membership representatives from the governmental, private, and private sectors, emphasizing the principle of community partnership. These responsibilities include the provision of health and educational services and work Training, awareness, education, rehabilitation, and housing. This committee is mainly responsible for studying and preparing the general policy for the care and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Higher Committee for the Affairs of Persons with Disabilities consists of representatives of all concerned government agencies and representatives of civil society organizations, in addition to coordination and cooperation with the National Institution for Human Rights and international bodies.

Regarding monitoring processes, the Higher Committee for the Care of Persons with Disabilities, in coordination with the Ministry of Labor and Social Development, monitors the activities, programs, and projects that have been implemented from the implementation plan of the approved strategy, prepares reports on what has been accomplished, and directs the concerned authorities to ensure effective implementation of all provisions of the agreement. With regard to measurement and evaluation, the National Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities includes a set of indicators to follow up on the achievement of what has been implemented, which measure the change in the lives of persons with disabilities in terms of quantity, quality, or both, according to national efforts to collect and analyze data and issue periodic reports according to a participatory methodology on Progress made in implementing this strategy. The committee also coordinates with international bodies to hold workshops and consultative forums with stakeholders and specialists with disabilities, the latest of which is the virtual forum for experts with disabilities in December 2021, in coordination with the United Nations Office in Bahrain, under the auspices of the Minister of Labor and Social Development, as the forum was attended by no less than 150 participants with disabilities, experts and specialists to discuss the current status of the implementation plan for the strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities.

Bahrain is one of the first countries that ratified the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Law No. 74 of 2006 was issued regarding the care, rehabilitation, and employment of persons with disabilities, which strengthened these rights by setting a more comprehensive framework in the areas of care in general and the areas of rehabilitation and employment in particular, and specifying authorities A governmental organization specialized in planning, implementing and following up programs for the care, rehabilitation, and employment of persons with disabilities, represented by the Higher Committee for the Care of Persons with Disabilities headed by the Minister of Labor and Social Development, and the various relevant government agencies and civil society institutions. In order to follow up on the implementation of the National Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and to follow up on the implementation of the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, a special committee affiliated to the Higher Committee for the Care of Persons with Disabilities was established by Resolution No. 62 of 2007, which worked to monitor the activities, programs, and projects that were implemented from the implementation plan of the strategy, Preparing reports on what has been achieved, and directing the concerned authorities to ensure effective implementation of all provisions of the Convention. Regarding measurement and evaluation, the National Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities includes a set of indicators to follow up on the achievement of what has been implemented, which measures, the change in the lives of persons with disabilities in terms of quantity or quality, or both, according to national efforts to collect and analyze data and issue periodic reports according to a participatory methodology on the progress made in implementing this strategy.

The IMM is also mandated with the following functions:

• Promoting the rights of persons with disabilities, including through education, outreach, the media, training, and capacity building
• Protecting the rights of persons with disabilities, including by receiving, investigating, and resolving complaints, or by mediating conflicts and monitoring activities and reporting
• Monitoring the implementation of the CRPD.

Given that the care, rehabilitation and employment of persons with disabilities is a shared responsibility, this responsibility is assumed by government ministries, especially those concerned with providing health and education services, work, training, awareness, education, rehabilitation, and housing, and it is equally assumed by civil society organizations and the private sector, and the committee works in cooperation with human rights organizations and civil society organizations to carry out operations Monitoring and following up the service achievements of these entities, noting that the Higher Committee for the Care of Persons Affairs consists of representatives of all concerned government agencies and representatives of civil society organizations.

The IMM undertakes/has undertaken the following activities:

• Developing a plan to monitor the implementation of the CRPD by the State: Since its establishment, the mechanism has developed two action plans: An implementation plan has been developed for the National Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities for the year 2012. The plan is currently being updated and submitted to the Council of Ministers for approval.
• Evaluating policy, legislative and administrative compliance with the CRPD: The executive plan includes activities, programs, and projects regarding legislation, regulations, and laws to work on developing them.
• Initiating or undertaking research studies on the rights of persons with disabilities: A study was conducted on the reality of persons with disabilities in Bahrain in the year 2021 from the budget of the Committee.
• Receiving and considering complaints or reviewing the outcome of complaints received by the NHRI: there is a communication system for complaints and suggestions. All complaints related to government services for people with disabilities are transferred to the competent authorities. Cases outside the authority’s specialization that are intended to be decided are transferred to the committee for study and consideration
• Promoting the rights of women and girls with disabilities in legislation and policies, including in the disability and gender-equality legislation and programmes: The executive plans include an important axis on women with disabilities and what is related to them
• Participating in the preparation of the State party’s periodic reports to the CRPD Committee: The committee prepared the first, second and third reports on the rights of persons with disabilities and submitted them to the competent committee in Geneva;
• Cooperating with other domestic mechanisms, as appropriate, such as the Parliament, the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM), National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI) and Equality Bodies, with the aim to reinforce human rights monitoring and reporting at the national level: There is a complementary relationship with all parties in the Shura Council and Representatives and with human rights bodies in Bahrain and community organizations in all disability issues in Bahrain;
• Liaising with the focal point (s) designated within government under Article 33(1) for matters relating to the Convention’s implementation: The government agency concerned with services for persons with disabilities is the Ministry of Labor and Social Development, the Minister of Labor and Social Development presides over the relevant committee with representatives from the Ministry and all relevant state ministries with representatives from civil society organizations and government agencies;
• Liaising with National Mechanisms for Reporting and Follow-Up on matters relating to the implementation of the CRPD: Permanent coordination is made with the National Institution for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  

The IMM’s membership is composed of persons with disabilities and representatives of organisations of persons with disabilities in full capacity of duties and rights. The Higher Committee for the Affairs of Persons with Disabilities includes several heads and members of civil society organizations, and the deputy committee and head of the executive office is a representative of an independent civil organization. Regarding the process of selecting and appointing members to the IMM, the boards of directors of non-governmental organizations specialized in the field of disability are addressed for nomination, and then the nominations are submitted to the office of the Prime Minister to approve the decision to form the committee, noting that non-governmental organizations follow the nomination systems in accordance with the approved organizational regulations for each organization.

Participation of persons with disabilities in the monitoring process:

The activities in which persons with disabilities and their representative organisations participate in the monitoring process include monitoring public policies and legislation concerning persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities take part in the decision-making process of the Independent Monitoring Mechanism - they have a voice and the right to vote. Persons with disabilities attend the decision-making process of the Independent Monitoring Mechanism - they have voice throughout the deliberations. Persons with disabilities as designated experts on disability are invited and/or hired to support specific programmes in the Independent Monitoring Mechanism, there is a formal structure for involving persons with disabilities and their representative organisations in the monitoring process, the structure of the Higher Committee for the Care of Affairs of Persons with Disabilities includes, in addition to government agencies, representatives of civil society organizations, including:

1. A representative of the national institutions for services to persons with disabilities.
2. A representative of the Bahrain Paralympic Committee.
3. A representative of the Bahraini Association for Parents and Friends of the Disabled.
4. A representative of the Bahraini International Mobility Center (a person with a mobility disability)

Note: If you wish to rectify or provide more information regarding your IMM, please contact ohchr-CRPDIMM@un.org