recurrence of similar events, and how to address them. International reaction to the establishment of the commission US President Barack Obama praised the establishment of the Commission on 2 July 2011 and said that, "by providing an independent assessment of what happened and identifying those responsible, the Royal Commission will play an essential role in advancing reconciliation, justice, and peace in Bahrain." White House Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner welcomed the announcement of the establishment of the Commission on 1 July 2011, adding that it was a "step in the right direction". Toner was pleased that the government of Bahrain was "taking significant and positive steps and hope that these efforts ... will help restore confidence and trust as Bahrain moves towards the beginning of the National Dialogue". In the United Kingdom, Minister for the Middle East and North Africa Alistair Burt said: "We welcome the establishment today by His Majesty the King of an independent commission, composed of international figures, to look into the events of recent months and into allegations of abuses of human rights. It is our hope that this promising and significant step will lead to concrete progress in addressing the recent serious concerns about the human rights situation in Bahrain, reiterated by the Foreign Secretary yesterday. We also hope these developments will be complemented by all sides participating in a successful and peaceful commencement of the National Dialogue." The Arab League General Secretariat hailed the establishment of the Commission as a step that will "meet Bahrain people's aspirations and bolster constitutional establishments beyond any foreign interference to subvert the Kingdom's independence, sovereignty and stability and undermine its Arab identity." EU High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton said on 1 July 2011 that the "establishment of an independent commission, composed of international members, to investigate the origins, causes and facts behind the many allegations of human rights violations in recent months in Bahrain. This is a step in the right direction, which we hope will shed full light on those events. I expect the independent commission to be in a position to carry out its work freely and thoroughly and I look forward to its final report due to be released at the end of October 2011." Amnesty International labelled the Commission as "a significant step forward but must lead to justice for the victims". Malcolm Smart, Director of Amnesty