Tuvalu becomes the first Pacific country as well as one of the few in the world, to launch a national action plan on human rights.
Prime Minister Hon. Enele Sopoaga officially launched the Tuvalu National Action Plan yesterday, attended by Tuvalu’s government officials.
The National Action Plan is an outcome of a human rights dialogue with Tuvalu members of parliament in 2015, facilitated by the Pacific Community (SPC) with support from the European Union and the Australian Government.
The Prime Minister said: “When designing this National Action Plan, we were mindful of the challenges that come with implementing various commitments. Our development priorities will assist the marginalised, the old and the young, our men, women and children, our people with disabilities and all those who call Tuvalu home. It is in realising our most basic and fundamental rights that we realise our basic dignity and worth as human beings.”
The Prime Minister explained that the Tuvalu government is pleased to present its National Action Plan (NAP), which has been designed to reflect Tuvalu’s commitment, priorities and concerted efforts towards building our nation where the human rights of our people are safeguarded and protected.
Acting on recommendations from the human rights dialogue, the Tuvalu government sought SPC’s Regional Rights Resources Team’s (RRRT) assistance in conducting a series of stakeholder consultations with Government departments, NGOs and communities to identify human rights and social development priorities, and develop one overall national human rights action plan, aligned with Tuvalu’s National Development Plan.
Acting Director for SPC’s Human Rights program, Nicol Cave said: “This NAP is certainly a remarkable achievement and one deserving of recognition. Today as governments struggle to meet their human rights commitments, it is initiatives such as a NAP that assist government to better prioritise the implementation of their universal commitment to human rights and to realise the human rights of their people.”
SPC Senior Human Rights Adviser, Romulo Nayacalevu added: “SPC is proud to support the Tuvaluan Government and in particular SPC’s RRRT program remains steadfast in assisting the Tuvaluan government to achieve its call presented in the foreword of the Tuvaluan National Action Plan document. We congratulate the government of Tuvalu for this bold step to lead the way in realising the rights of communities, families and individuals in Tuvalu through and the formulation of its National Action Plan.”
The National Action Plan consolidates the country’s human rights commitments and ensures a systematic and coordinated approach to the delivery of the government’s human rights commitment, as well as to strengthen the government’s realisation of human rights in Tuvalu.
It captures Tuvalu’s existing commitments under human rights treaties to which it is a state party - the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC); the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and; the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) as well as Tuvalu’s commitments under the Universal periodic Review (UPR), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Te Kakeega III-2016-2020 (TK III), Tuvalu’s National Development Plan.
With technical support from RRRT, this model is being pursued with all SPC member states and territories RRRT provides support to ensure a more coordinated and efficient manner of States tracking and monitoring their different commitments and obligations on human rights.
The National Action Plan is available on RRRT’s website.
About us:
The Pacific Community (SPC) is the principal scientific and technical organisation in the Pacific region, proudly supporting development since 1947. It is an international development organisation owned and governed by its 26 country and territory members.
Media contacts:
Onorina Saukelo RRRT Communications Assistant, [email protected] or +679 330 5582
Useful link:
SPC Regional Rights Resource Team.