UN probes Fiji’s human rights record

[posted 16 Feb 2009, 1345]

Some 18 local NGOs and international human rights organisations made submissions to the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) team on the situation in Fiji.

The UPR session on Fiji was held in Geneva on 11 February.

The National Farmers Union also made a submission on behalf of the cane growers on the suppression of their rights. Among others who lodged reports were the Fiji Law Society, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Methodist Church of Fiji, Fiji Women’s Rights group, Citizens Constitutional Forum, ECREA and the Institute on Religion and Public Policy.

Most complaints centred around the abrogation of the Fiji Constitution in April 2009, the imposition of the Public Emergency Decree (PER) and human rights violations and excesses under it; the rigorous censorship of the media and suppression of the right to freedom of expression and assembly, and the compromised state of the Fiji judiciary.

It is understood the UPR has made 103 recommendations including the immediate lifting of the PER for consideration by the Fiji regime.

The Human Rights Council was set up in 2006 by the UN General Assembly to address situations of human rights violations and to make recommendations on them. It comprises 47 member States of the UN.

The UPR mechanism was established a year later to periodically review human rights conditions in all 192 member states of the UN.

It invites a report from the State concerned, in this case Fiji. This report should be compiled after wide consultations with all relevant stakeholders. The NFU is not aware of any such consultation undertaken by the State.

The UPR also invites submissions from other stakeholders through the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.