Human Rights

Several days ago, leaders of a number of Pacific Island countries raised concern at the UN general assembly about alleged human rights abuses against West Papuans.

RNZI reports the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child raised the issue in a review recently, saying it was particularly true at the village level and among church leaders.

But the chief executive of Samoa's Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development disagrees.

Supported by the Australian Government and European Union, the Forum reaffirmed the vital role of media in highlighting human rights issues and the importance of news reporting with a human rights-based approach. 

The Forum highlighted the importance of building strong relationships between government communication personnel and journalists in sharing and disseminating information.  

An Outcomes Document will be presented in poster format for newsrooms in the region, providing practical tips for ‘rights-based reporting’.

Each village marched, showing off their colours and representing different human rights values: Matautu (Respect), Suifaga (Freedom), Pata (Peace), Falevai (Equality), & Samatau (Love). All values of human rights, all values of the faasamoa and the foundations of our wonderful society.

The march was followed with a formal opening by Deputy Prime Minister Fonotoe Nuafesili who called for "every day to be a human rights day".

Yesterday was Human Rights Day, which was marked across the Pacific.

The UNHRO Pacific head, Catherine Phuong, says ratification of human rights treaties is still very low in the region - one of the lowest in the world.

She says understanding of human rights is limited in some countries, rates of violence against women and children are very high and more needs to be done to address allegations of police brutality.

The signing took place between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Office of Ombudsman also known as the National Human Rights Institution (NHRI).

The purpose of the this partnership, officially launched at the signing ceremony that took place earlier today at the UN Compound in Matautu-Uta, is to join efforts to raise awareness, improve knowledge and address misconceptions about human rights in Samoan communities.

“Very frequently, we see a preponderance of women experts on panels that discuss issues specific to women and children – as if such issues could not be of deep concern to men,” Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said in his opening remarks to a panel discussion on gender equality held by the Council in Geneva.

“Conversely, discussions on situations of armed conflict, on counter-terrorism, on sanctions regimes, and on the death penalty almost seem as though they are reserved for men,” he noted.

They were taking that course of action because the Maldives government has failed to fulfill many of its promises made to ex-President Mohamed Nasheed, Clooney told reporters in Male, the capital of the Indian Ocean archipelago that is a high-end tourist destination.

"The next step will be to pursue targeted sanctions, travel bans and any other action we have recourse to until the matter is resolved," she said. "It is disappointing it has come to this."

The launch event was presided by Hon. Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi, Prime Minister of Samoa.