The Gulf Centre for Democratic Development (GCDD) is a training, information, and advocacy institution dedicated to promoting and nurturing democratic values in the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries as defined in the International Bill of Human Rights. It is a non-governmental organization

Non-governmental organization

A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...

 based in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, UK. Its current secretary-general is Dr Salah Al Bandar

Salah Al Bandar

Dr Salah Al Bandar is a British citizen of Sudanese origin known for his role in revealing the Bandargate scandal in Bahrain. Al Bandar had been working as a strategic planning adviser to the Cabinet Affairs Ministry of Bahrain since October 2006...

.

In September 2006, the GCDD issued a document revealing a political conspiracy within the government of Bahrain

Bahrain

' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...

 to marginalize its Shia population and rig the elections. The scandal became known as Bandargate.