Joint Submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) – Bahrain: Combined eighth to fourteenth periodic reports

24 October 2022

The Report Linkn

In its October 2022, 21 page report to the United Nations’ Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (the Committee), Salam for Democracy and Human Rights (SALAM DHR) and the UK charity, Rights Realization Centre examined the Government of Bahrain’s (GoB) continued flaws in respect its obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD). The report (see the link below) focused on:

  • Widespread, enduring and deep-seated discrimination against the Shi’a and migrant worker community
  • Enduring rejection of cooperation with UN and other national and international human rights bodies
  • Discriminatory practices towards women: Gender Discrimination in Bahrain’s Nationality Law
  • Failure to Ensure Equal Treatment Before Tribunals: the Death Penalty
  • Rejection of the Right to Participate in Public Affairs
  • Deprivation of Citizenship and Statelessness
  • Violations of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
  • Aspects of discrimination faced by the migrant worker community, and Environmental Impact on Migrants

On 15 and 17 November 2022, representatives of SALAM DHR, alongside other members of civil society, engaged with members of the Committee, to respond to questions and provide clarifications as the Committee assessed the state party’s report.

SALAM DHR emphasised, amongst others topics, the pivotal moment for this review, as it took place only a few months before the scheduled, December 2022, consideration of the biannual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) vote to suspend states’ implementation of the death penalty. SALAM DHR’s findings included racial and other forms of discriminatory treatment in the death penalty, which undermines international fair trial standards.