Letter to His Majesty Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain

31 March 2003

His Majesty Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
Office of His Majesty the King
Rifa’a Palace
Kingdom of Bahrain

Your Majesty,

Human Rights Watch is writing to Your Majesty to recommend respectfully that the Kingdom of Bahrain commence the appropriate steps to consider and then ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. We have also written to the other five member governments of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, requesting that they also begin the process of ratification or accession to this important new international treaty.

Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
March 31, 2003

On February 14, the country became a monarchy with a Constitution that reinstated a legislative body, one of whose chambers is elected. The new Constitution also confirmed the King as hereditary ruler and strengthened royal executive authority. According to the National Action Charter, the King is the head of the three branches of government: the executive, legislative, and judicial. The Constitution gives the elected Council of Deputies a role in considering legislation, but most legislative authority still resides with the King and he appoints members of the Shura (Consultative) Council. The King chairs the Higher Judicial Council.