Nov 24, 2013
Manama, Nov. 21 /2012 (BNA) – Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa said that the Secretary-General of Ombudsman at the Interior Ministry Nawaf Al-Maawda enjoys wide respect, was appointed upon the legal advice from eminent world experts and lawyers and performs duties stipulated by the Royal Decree No. 27 for 2012.
Shaikh Khalid added that Mr. Al-Maawda outlined, during his first press conference on August 25, 2012, his top priorities which include respect of the Bahraini citizens' dignity and rights according to the constitution and international human rights standards.
"I am committed to defending the principles embedded in the new Police Code of Conduct, and I know that this is an important step to build bridges of trust and mutual respect between society and the police," he quoted Mr. Al-Maawda as saying.
Al Maawda also pointed that transparency, fairness, trust and communal partnership are the underlying principles of the work of the Office of Ombudsman which is committed to conducting professional investigations in collaboration with legal and human rights experts so as to achieve trust-worthy and timely results, the Minister also said.
The Justice Minister also stated that the Ombudsman Office has developed a clear work based on the following:
- Removing its headquarters to a temporary location at Al-Seef District, away from the Interior Ministry and police stations.
- Creating a website (www.ombudsman.bh), establishing a centre to register e-complaints, recording all arrests and detention acts, recruiting highly-qualified personnel , naming Investigations and Human Resources heads, to be officially appointed soon and allocating the needed budget over which the Secretary-General has full control.
- Training the personnel of the Office of the Ombudsman inside and outside the kingdom.
- Using the best international practices since the office is the first of its kind in the Gulf region. In this regard, Al-Maawda met a number of diplomats last August and is planning to make a number of outside visits in order to be informed about those practices.
- Joining the relevant international organisations. In this context, Al-Maawda attended the 10th International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) World Conference, hosted by Wellington, New Zealand, and is looking forward to make the Bahrain's Ombudsman Office an IOI member.
- The Secretary-General of Ombudsman is planning to enhance constructive interaction with members of the society, including jurists, human rights activists and the Interior Ministry's affiliates in order to increase awareness and build trust between the Office and the concerned sides.
- Reaching out to the public inside and outside the kingdom through press releases and media campaigns in Arabic and English, TV and radio interviews and news reports.
- Issuing and implementing professional policing standards, as well as conducting legal training for police officers.
- Ensuring accountability in all cases. Until the Office starts operating fully, the Interior Ministry has to investigate alleged cases of misconduct and take the necessary disciplinary procedures against those found guilty through referring their cases to civil courts at the request of the Attorney-General.
