Ghada Jamsheer turns down the membership of the Human Rights Commission for its unclear objectives and standards .

Ghada Jamsheer turns down the membership of the Human Rights Commission for its unclear objectives and standards

Women's rights activists, Ghada Jamsheer, has apologized for not accepting to join the Human Rights Commission, which is a new body in the formulation process by a decision issued last month by the Cabinets. Mrs. Jamsheer reasons for refusing to join the newly founded association was that there are no guarantees that this body will abide by international human rights norms, such as Paris Principles. Also there are worries concerning the nature of this new body, including the structure, membership, agenda and objectives. There are also suspicions in the ability of the government to tackle human rights issues seriously, such as poverty, sectarian discrimination, discrimination against women and public freedoms.

Dr Yasser Al Nasser, Secretary General of the Cabinets, has contacted Mrs. Jamsheer last month to convoy her an invitation to join the Commission, and requested her to respond in the earliest convenience. Mrs. Jamsheer contacted Dr. Al Nasser later to thank him for this invitation, but in the same time she apologized for turning down this invitation for the aforementioned reasons. Mrs. Jamsheer also advised Dr. Nasser to make sure that the Commission abides by international human rights norms, especially Paris Principles and other human rights treaties, and she also requested him to consult with NGO's and civil society organizations that enjoy public and international respect, and to avoid suspicious organizations and persons, especially those whose involved in the controversial report issued by Dr Salah Al Bandar. Mrs. Jamsheer also noted the worries that this newly established body could be a façade association aiming to improve the damaged image of Bahrain abroad while neglecting crucial issues related to human rights.