The National Commission assigned to Follow-up the BICI Recommendations

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Progress & Actions Taken

1724 (a) - To consider relaxing censorship and allowing the opposition greater access to television broadcasts, radio broadcasts and print media. The continuing failure to provide opposition groups with an adequate voice in the national media risks further polarising the political and ethnic divide.

Progress & Actions

Resolutions of the National Commission

Providing the National Commission with the actions taken or to be taken in the future to implement this recommendation.

Government Response

In process of being implemented

The Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain - Information Affairs Authority accepted the suggestions made by the independent French media experts on this recommendation. Please see the Plan Commission of Public Information to consider how to implement it.

The most prominent proposals include:

-The proposal on decreasing the control and on financing programmes to increase the number of participation from all political factions.

Of the most important key points of the plan, a new higher media council will be established to be independent from the government, to monitor the context of the media, following the French and Moroccan model.

The council will be entrusted with the responsibility of guaranteeing respect for the diversity of opinion in the audio-visual media, especially the political programmes.

The experts come from the World Association of IMCA, which is known for its media consultations, headed by Mr. Pascal Joseph, who is the manager and a well-experienced organiser. He had occupied a number of senior positions such as Deputy CEO and Director of Programmes at the French national TV channel, TF1, and French TV and Radio.

He will be assisted by Mr. Didier Saboh, former deputy director of the French Ministry of Communications and the Secretary General of France Television. The team will include experts in the field of new digital technologies, broadcasting, audience measurement and analysis.

The IMCA has helped many countries in their transition stages and openness in the media. And in particular, the IMCA worked with 11 governments of Central and Eastern Europe to reform their laws and administrative plans to bring them into line with the best international standards, which was considered a prerequisite for the accession of these countries to the European Union.

Resolutions of the National Commission

Approval of the following items:
1. Assigning the Media Affairs Authority to develop a national media strategy based on consolidating common national values and calling for reconciliation in all aspects which contribute to the benefit and development of the country.
2. Adopting a fair, professional and balanced media policy towards the opposition, by ensuring that the media adopts points of view related to expediting reform at the legislative and executive levels, and catering to more of the living requirements of citizens. The official media organizations should announce the programmes to gain the confidence of citizens. This cannot be done without allowing all the political and social powers which constitute the Bahraini society to appear in the official local media.
3. Diagnosing and remedying any government discrepancies towards citizens through television and radio programmes.
4. Covering seminars and events organized by political associations, focusing on their content in the media, and addressing them objectively. This would give the all parties responsibility of addressing those issues, provided that such actions are in compliance with Bahrain’s Constitution and applicable laws.
5. Qualifying media personnel to gain skills commensurate with international standards, in order to create specialized media expertise, focusing in the coming period on personnel concerned with political and social affairs to ensure their neutrality and mature performance.
6. To stop all actions which could incite sectarian feuds and conflicts in official media.

Resolutions of the National Commission

Further to the letter of HH Deputy Prime No. NRW/34/2012 dated 10 January 2012:

Arrangements for certain National Commission members to meet with the delegation of French media experts to discuss and clarify any ambiguities pertaining to the implementation of media related recommendations.

Government Response

A meeting will be held on 25 January 2012 between a group of National Commission members (namely Taqi Al Baharnah, Ahmed Al Saati, Ali Al Drazi, Hala Al Ansari, Dr. Abdulaziz Abel) and the French media delegates and Isa Cultural Center. The media team expressed satisfaction that the Commission’s output pertaining to the media aspect is in line with what was actually concluded based on existing facts. The delegation also asked to be provided with any resolutions and future outlooks to be reviewed with media experts who are highly capable and experienced in the media field. It was also agreed to communicate between Commission members and French media experts and to discuss the detailed aspects, as well as review the possible implementation of the French legal model in Bahrain, after the experts complete their mandate in France and during their next visit to Bahrain in the near future, to submit comprehensive proposals and recommendations to the government based on all issues which were discussed during their visits to Bahrain, in order to ensure the implementation of leading media models which could be considered as an international standard for the development of the media and press in Bahrain.

Resolutions of the National Commission

To emphasize the importance of meeting with the IMCA experts appointed by the Government to provide proposals and consultations to closely identify the nature of their mandate in developing professional standards for Bahraini media, and amending media supervisory laws and regulations in compliance with international standards.
To write to the esteemed Government requesting information on action taken to diagnose and rectify Government remissness vis-à-vis citizens via television and radio programs, as provided in National Commission proposals for the implementation of the aforementioned recommendation.
On media supervision, to write to the esteemed Government, to follow up the Commission’s views on the implementation of the aforementioned recommendation, to reduce censorship of websites.

Government Response

A copy was attached on the steps taken by the Government of the Kingdom Bahrain and its various bodies for the implementation of the recommendation which also responds to a number of other recommendations and inquiries:

1- The national plan for social and economic reconciliation which is prepared by the Ministry of Human Rights and Social Development.

2- The Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Ministry of Education and the International Commission on Education, a unit of UNESCO, which responds to the recommendation No. 1725, paragraph (a) as well.

3- Media reform plan prepared by the Commission of Public Information, which responds to the recommendation No. 1724, paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) as well.

The initiative of civil settlement undertaken by the Ministry of Justice and Islamic Affairs and Endowments, which respond to the recommendation No. 1722 paragraphs (j) and (k) as well.

Relevant Legislation / Documents

Media Reform Plan

Most Recent Actions Taken