E/CN.4/2002/77/Add.2 page 12 4. Compensation due to victims of human rights violations 28. Following the amnesty, the delegation observed that a great many former prisoners and exiles were finding it very hard to find work or return to their former jobs, especially in the civil service, or to reclaim their homes or professional or commercial premises. The worst situations involved individuals who had suffered disabilities due to torture; these people must be given access to medical care including physical and psychological attention. (The delegation has already come across a score of cases in Manama in which short-term care is required.) Heartened by H.H. the Amir’s statement that the State of Bahrain “¼has [¼] upgraded its close relations and active cooperation with the United Nations” (speech on the occasion of the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, see above), the Working Group urges the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture to look favourably upon any application for financing that satisfies its criteria. According to the Fund’s guidelines, applications for support for assistance to victims of torture can be submitted by any non-governmental organization; projects financed by the Fund can cover a variety of kinds of assistance and expenditure, including the salaries of specialized practitioners who have, where necessary, previously received training for the purpose through a specialized agency with Fund support. 29. According to information the delegation received, responses to applications for work, some involving reacceptance into the civil service, were apparently starting to come in, case by case, sometimes even with retroactive payment of salary if the individual concerned had been definitively cleared though those, it seems were relatively exceptional cases. A modicum of transparency ought to be afforded by introducing appropriate transitional rules to ensure that there is no unevenness in the way applications are handled. 5. The role of civil society 30. Civil society organizations are subject to the highly restrictive Societies and Clubs Act of 1987, under the authority of the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Labour and the Supreme Council of Youth and Sport. Although this repressive legislation remains in force, the Bahrain Human Rights Society, a non-governmental organization, finds the overall situation positive: “H.H. the Amir did not wait for a new law to be promulgated but has given the green light for the establishment of the Bahraini Workers’ Union (BWU) and other associations reflecting the diversity of Bahraini society, which now has over ten authorized associations. H.H. the Amir has also granted permits to associations that could turn into political forums, such as the National Democratic Action Society (NDAS), the Hahoual Democratic Forum Society (HDFS) and the long-standing Social Reform Society (SRS).” A bill to replace the restrictive 1987 Act is in preparation. It is to be hoped that it will pass and take effect as soon as possible, adding to the budding cooperation between the State and civil society.