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Human Rights Unit holds conference on ratification of conventions in Pacific

28 March 2007

Participants learn processes and implications of implementing conventions

The Human Rights Unit (HRU) of the Commonwealth Secretariat together with the Pacific Islands Forum are holding a three-day conference on ratification of human rights conventions for member countries in the Pacific from 28 to 30 March 2007.

The conference, taking place in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, is being attended by senior government officials from the ministries of foreign affairs and attorneys-general of all Commonwealth Pacific countries, except Fiji Islands and Nauru.

The purpose of the meeting is to ensure that the officials are informed about the processes of the ratification of the 1966 human rights covenants and their implications. These two international covenants spell out civil and political rights, as well as economic, social and cultural rights.

Speaking at the opening of the conference, the Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum, Greg Urwin, stated that the ratification of the covenants was a priority in the region.

The head of the HRU, Rabab Fatima, said the Commonwealth Secretariat was pleased to be supporting member countries with technical assistance to enable them go through the process.

In a related programme, a workshop for trainers of police officers in Commonwealth Pacific countries on mainstreaming human rights ran from 20 to 26 March 2007. The workshop took place in Port Vila, Vanuatu.

According to HRU’s Jo Ford, the aim of the workshop was to equip police officers with skills and knowledge about incorporating a human rights component in police training.