NIHR, APF discuss COVID-19 efforts, cooperation

Manama, May 10 (BNA): The National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR) has highlighted the efforts it has exerted during the coronavirus pandemic to educate citizens and residents. Efforts have included issuing statements, posting tweets and making visits to isolation and quarantine centers to assess the measures taken by the concerned authorities to provide medical services to the patients and contacted individuals. The NIHR has also distributed questionnaires to learn about the opinions of the quarantined and isolated people as well as the medical and service staff present there. The highlights were made during a virtual meeting between NIHR President Maria Khoury and Asia Pacific Forum (APF) Director Kieren Fitzpatrick, Expert Consultant Chris Sidoti and Manager of Capacity Development Pip Dargan, as part of the cooperation between the two sides. She also provided a summary of the state’s efforts to combat the pandemic that took into account human rights, mainly the royal pardon for 901 people, the activation of alternative punishment sanctions that benefited about 1,800 people. The efforts also included establishing several quarantine and isolation centers, granting the necessary permits to set up special centers for temporary isolation and quarantine centers and allocating schools and temporary buildings to housing workers and prevent overcrowding in their current accommodations. Khoury stressed that the NIHR is working to ensure there is no overcrowding in the workers' accommodations. Fitzpatrick indicated the forum's readiness to provide all support and assistance to the NIHR in implementing its goals and carrying out its functions. Khoury praised the outstanding efforts made by APF to support national institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic, which requires international cooperation and solidarity to combat it. The meeting also discussed the challenges facing national human rights institutions across the world in dealing with the precautionary measures applied by different countries to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, how they can carry out their duties and cooperation with APF.