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Human Rights Regional Round Table Calendar
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UNITED NATIONS PRESS RELEASE: "Bill to Make HIV testing compulsory"

Statement delivered on 14 January 2008 by the Chairperson of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, Ms. Dubravka Simonovic
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Letter from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to the Director of the Fiji Human Rights Commission, 3 October 2007
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Strengthening CEDAW Implementation in the Pacific

Vanuatu takes treaty action during May 2007

On 17 May 2007, Vanuatu ratified the Optional Protocol of the Convention the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The same day, Vanuatu also signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Earlier this year, on 14 March 2007, New Zeeland became the 33rd State Party to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture; with 50 State Parties the respective Sub-Committee will increase its membership from 10 to 25. On 6 February 2007, Samoa and Vanuatu signed the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and on 30 March of the same year Australia and New Zealand signed Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The act of signature is a first step towards ratification of a treaty. It generates no direct legal implications; only ratification (or accession) binds the State to implement all the rights recognized in the treaty. For the status of ratification, go under to >>Ratification table of Optional Protocols and Ratification of Core Treaties.

UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries concludes visit to Fiji

Suva, 18 May 2007: The United Nations Working Group on the use of mercenaries has conducted a fact-finding visit to Fiji from 14 to 18 May 2007, following consultations with Fijian authorities since 2005. The Working Group delegation was headed by its Chairperson-Rapporteur, Mr. José Luis Gomez del Prado, and included Working Group member Mr. Alexander Nikitin. For more information.

OHCHR-Pacific launches book and website

On 25 April, OHCHR Pacific Regional Office launched its new website during a human rights evening at the Alliance Française in Suva, Fiji Islands. A new publication entitled Advancing the implementation of human rights in the Pacific was also launched. This book is a joint publication of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), UNDP, UNIFEM, UNFPA and UNICEF. It contains the most recent UN Treaty Bodies recommendations for all the 16 countries of the Pacific region. The book also includes selected country-based examples of follow-up given to UN recommendations and provides explanations of the UN human rights monitoring mechanism. Recommendations of the UN human rights treaty bodies are essential tools to guide all State branches and non-State actors in their efforts to make human rights a daily reality.

Regional workshop on Integrating human rights in National Disaster Management (9-11 May 2007, Suva, Fiji Islands)

The overall aim of this workshop is to increase the awareness and skills of UN and other staff, especially those involved in disaster relief and recovery operations/programming, about the relevance of human rights issues in disaster management, this in order to reduce the vulnerability of affected populations and special groups, enable transition to normalcy and contribute to increased risk reduction, all within a rights-based framework. The objectives of the workshop organized by OHCHR and UNDP PC are twofold:  1) train those UN Disaster Management Team and Pacific UNDAC (UN Disaster Assessment & Coordination) Team members in basic human rights and  2) develop a human rights check-list, specific to the Pacific region, to be used by all concerned actors in situations of humanitarian emergencies to ensure that human rights concerns are effectively incorporated in natural disaster preparedness, response and recovery. This check-list would be a dynamic tool that would be revised and expanded whenever needed. The workshop will be held over three days in Suva, Fiji, at Tanoa Plaza in Suva. The schedule of the workshop is from May 9 - 11, 2007, from 8.30 am – 6.00 pm each day.

OHCHR-Pacific trains prison officials in Kiribati

From 18 to 20 April 2007, OHCHR-Pacific organized a human rights training workshop for prison officials in Tarawa, Kiribati. OHCHR has a wide experience worldwide in training prison officials and law enforcement personnel in human rights. More information on this activity will soon be provided.

UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies and Pacific countries

Kiribati, Samoa and the Marshall Islands have been recently reviewed by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC). During 2007, Vanuatu and the Cook Islands will be reviewed by the UN Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW); New Zealand and the Fiji Islands in 2008 by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD). Australia will be considered by the UN Committee against Torture in November 2007. Latest UN treaty bodies recommendations adopted for Pacific countries.

OHCHR Indigenous Fellowship Programme

The aim of the Indigenous Fellowship Programme (IFP) is to give indigenous peoples the opportunity to gain knowledge on the UN system and mechanisms dealing with human rights in general and indigenous issues in particular so they can assist their organizations and communities in protecting and promoting the rights of their people. Application details.

Latest UN human rights reports on Pacific States

Report of the UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living Miloon Kothari: Misison to Australia (31 July to 15 August 2006). >>Full report

Report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Martin Scheinin. Australia: study on human rights compliance while countering terrorism. >>Full report