Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

105 th session

15 November–3 December 2021

Item 4 of the provisional agenda

Consideration of reports, comments and information submitted by States parties under article 9 of the Convention

List of themes in relation to the combined eighth to fourteenth periodic reports of Bahrain

Note by the Country Rapporteur *

1.The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination decided at its seventy-sixth session (A/65/18, para. 85) that the Country Rapporteur would send to the State party concerned a short list of themes with a view to guiding and focusing the dialogue between the State party’s delegation and the Committee during the consideration of the State party’s report. The present document contains a list of such themes. It is not an exhaustive list; other issues may also be raised in the course of the dialogue. No written replies are required.

The Convention in domestic law and the institutional and policy framework for its implementation (arts. 1, 2and 4)

2.Examples of cases where the Convention has been invoked by domestic courts; updated information on measures taken to increase the visibility of the Convention among the population, and on their impact (CERD/C/BHR/QPR/8-14, para. 2; CERD/C/BHR/8-14, paras. 2–8).

3.Information on the ethnic composition of the State party, including non-citizens, such as asylum seekers, refugees, stateless persons and migrants (CERD/C/BHR/QPR/8-14, para. 3; CERD/C/BHR/8-14, paras. 9–10).

4.Updated information on the status of the bill on combating discrimination, hatred and sectarianism, annexed to note No. 118/604/215 sent to the Deputy Prime Minister on 11 November 2015, and on measures taken to include direct and indirect racial discrimination based on all grounds as stipulated in article 1 (1) of the Convention in the anti-discrimination bill (CERD/C/BHR/QPR/8-14, para. 4; CERD/C/BHR/8-14, paras. 11–12).

5.Updated information on individual complaints of racial discrimination made to the National Institute for Human Rights, and on their outcomes (CERD/C/BHR/QPR/8-14, para. 6; CERD/C/BHR/8-14, paras. 42–45).

6.Information on special measures for the advancement of groups and individuals protected under the Convention, and on their impact (CERD/C/BHR/QPR/8-14, para. 7; CERD/C/BHR/8-14, paras. 46–48).

7.Measures taken to ensure an open space for civil society and human rights defenders working to combat racial discrimination (CERD/C/BHR/QPR/8-14, para. 8; CERD/C/BHR/8-14, paras. 46–48).

8.Examples of cases where racial motives were considered an aggravating circumstance under domestic penal legislation (CERD/C/BHR/QPR/8-14, para. 11; CERD/C/BHR/8-14, para. 60).

9.Updated information on any cases or decisions taken by national courts on acts of racial discrimination, in particular those offences referred to in article 4 (a) and (b) of the Convention; statistical data, disaggregated by sex, age and ethnic or national origin, on complaints filed, including to the police, the National Institute for Human Rights, the Office of the Ombudsman and the Special Investigations Unit, as well as on prosecutions launched and sentences handed down for acts prohibited under article 4 of the Convention and on compensation provided to the victims (CERD/C/BHR/QPR/8-14, para. 12; CERD/C/BHR/8-14, paras. 61–63).

Situation of ethnic minorities (art. 5)

10.Further detailed information on the enjoyment of the rights set out in article 5 of the Convention by ethnic or ethno-religious minorities, migrants and non-citizens (CERD/C/BHR/QPR/8-14, para. 13; CERD/C/BHR/8-14, paras. 64–66).

11.Information on the impact of the amendments to the Citizenship Act and to the Family Code, promulgated in Act No. 19 of 19 July 2017 on the children of Bahraini women married to non-Bahraini men (CERD/C/BHR/QPR/8-14, para. 14; CERD/C/BHR/8-14, paras. 69–70).

12.Information on the naturalization of the Bidoon (CERD/C/BHR/QPR/8-14, para. 15; CERD/C/BHR/8-14, para. 92).

13.Updated information on educational initiatives to combat prejudice and increase tolerance and coexistence, including in schools (CERD/C/BHR/QPR/8-14, para. 18; CERD/C/BHR/8-14, paras. 95–106).