• CYP:
• What's New:
• CYP Pacific:
• Highlighting Human Rights Issues Affecting Young People

Highlighting Human Rights Issues Affecting Young People

16 October 2007

CYP South Pacific Regional Youth Caucus writes to all Pacific Heads of Governments

As part of its advocacy work in the region, the CYP South Pacific Regional Youth Caucus recently wrote to the Heads of Government of all member countries in the Pacific highlighting human rights abuses and issues confronting youth in the Pacific.

One of the key issues that emerged during discussions at the RYC meeting since 2005 were human rights abuses of young people in the region. During the course of discussion, it became apparent that there was a need to highlight and advocate these issues to the regional leaders. To this end, and over the course of a long consultation, a letter was drafted.

The letter was addressed to each head of government in the Commonwealth Pacific. It was sent to all leaders on 26 July 2007. The letter aimed to highlight a select few human rights issues that occur in the Pacific region that specifically affect young people.

The caucus sought to highlight the following:

1. Children as young as ten years old are engaged in sexual services on ocean-going vessels.
2. Young people are entering marriage before reaching 16 years of age. This is affecting their health and impeding their education.
3. Single mothers are denied legal autonomy thereby limiting their ability to provide for themselves and their dependents.
4. Young people found guilty of minor offences are subject to punitive detention without opportunity for rehabilitation.

The caucus hoped to highlight the impact of these abuses not only on social cohesion but also on the economy. As the caucus noted “human rights violations are important as a matter of principle; however, a further effect of denying young people their rights is that it impedes the national progression and development of any country.”

In addition, the letter noted that, in the Commonwealth Pacific region, only Australia, New Zealand and Tokelau are signatories to all major human rights conventions, namely the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights; the International Covenant on Social, Cultural and Economic Rights; and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Three-quarters of the world's states have signed these instruments, thereby placing most Commonwealth South Pacific nations in the minority of states worldwide to exclude themselves from the international movement towards respect for codified social justice.

The caucus also noted their respect for community orientation as a key characteristic of ‘the Pacific way’. However, they said, “harmony within any of our communities is related to the protection of members of that community individually… We believe that, in the interests of the young people in our Region, it is time to seek shared principles to protect the most vulnerable members of our South Pacific communities. We call for urgent and renewed effort towards proactive measures to ensure that young people are raised in a South Pacific community where they can safely fulfil their potential.”

The caucus challenged the leaders of Commonwealth Pacific countries to do the following:

1. Make an urgent and renewed effort towards a Pacific-specific instrument and other proactive measures to ensure a community where children can safely fulfil their potential.
   
2. Implement the Convention on the Rights of the Child into law.
   
3. Take practical measures to ensure that sexual exploitation of children is consigned to history, and
   
4. Consult regularly and openly with young people and their representatives, such the Caucus, to ensure that the rights of young people in the Commonwealth Pacific region are upheld.

With the support of the Regional Director and the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Secretariat, it is hoped that this letter will be highlighted to Pacific leaders ahead of the Pacific Leaders Forum in Tonga in October 2007.

Mr Matthew Albert, RYC member leading this initiative said that the Regional Youth Caucus has been encouraged so far to receive positive responses from some Heads of Governments committing themselves to work positively towards addressing these issues. Mr Albert further added that the Caucus is optimistic that responses from other countries would also be positive and that the Forum Islands Leaders Conference in Tonga this month will further reinforce the need for Regional Leaders to take action to uphold the human rights of young people in the Pacific.