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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">From:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"> press-releases-bounces@lists.spc.int [mailto:press-releases-bounces@lists.spc.int]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>SPC Media<br>
<b>Sent:</b> 27 November 2017 10:42<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [SPC-News] Media Release: Federated States of Micronesia’s Pohnpei State set to implement landmark Family Safety Bill<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"><img width="1198" height="176" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D3676C.63621EA0"></span><span lang="EN-AU"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:18.0pt;mso-fareast-language:FR">Federated States of Micronesia’s</span></b><span style="font-size:18.0pt;mso-fareast-language:FR">
</span><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:18.0pt">Pohnpei State set to implement landmark Family Safety Bill<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:18.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:FR">27 November 2017<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-fareast-language:FR"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b><span style="mso-fareast-language:FR">Pohnpei, FSM</span></b><span style="mso-fareast-language:FR"> - Key government and civil society stakeholders met in Pohnpei State, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM)
from 15-16 November to prepare the implementation plan for the landmark Pohnpei Family Safety Bill, passed by the Ninth Pohnpei Legislature on 7 November 2017. The Pohnpei State Department of Health Services together with the Pacific Community’s (SPC) Regional
Rights Resource Team (RRRT) facilitated this meeting to unpack and map out key strategies for the Pohnpei State Government to ensure support for the implementation of the Bill.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-fareast-language:FR"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-fareast-language:FR">The new legislation defines family violence, establishes family violence offences and sets out protective mechanisms that can be accessed by victims of family violence. The
legislation is the first of its kind for Pohnpei and, as a result, a key objective of the consultation was to increase understanding and awareness of the content and implications of the Pohnpei Family Safety Bill.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-fareast-language:FR"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-fareast-language:FR">Participants were able</span><span lang="EN-AU"> to gather information and share ideas for the development of the implementation plan. Issues covered included an examination
of the gaps among social service providers, options for filling those gaps and public information strategies.</span><span lang="EN-AU" style="background:yellow;mso-highlight:yellow;mso-fareast-language:FR">
</span><span style="mso-fareast-language:FR"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-fareast-language:FR"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-fareast-language:FR">During the meeting, the Pacific Community acknowledged the Pohnpei State Government for being the second FSM State, after Kosrae, to have passed legislation specifically addressing
family violence.<span style="color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-fareast-language:FR"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-fareast-language:FR">Reflecting on the effort and dedication that has been put into the legislation, RRRT Acting Director Ms Nicol Cave said, “This is a milestone for the Pohnpei State Government
and for the Federated States of Micronesia, and we congratulate them on this important step toward ensuring the safety, protection and wellbeing of families. SPC RRRT looks forward to continuing its support for Pohnpei State and helping to ensure the full
implementation of the Family Safety Bill”. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-fareast-language:FR"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-fareast-language:FR">Ms Cave also acknowledged the role of the Australian Government in supporting the work of RRRT. “This consultation was made possible through the financial support of Australia.
Thanks to that support, Pohnpei State has been able to immediately commence discussion on its implementation plan for this historic legislation.”
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-fareast-language:FR"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">RRRT is also providing ongoing support to the FSM to meet its commitments under key international human rights treaties,
</span><span style="mso-fareast-language:FR">including the </span><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and Convention on
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).</span><span style="mso-fareast-language:FR"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:FR"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:FR">The FSM States of Pohnpei and Kosrae join the Pacific Island nations of Nauru, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu
in developing and officially introducing Family Protection legislation. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b><span lang="EN-AU"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b><span lang="EN-AU">Media Contact:</span></b><span lang="EN-AU"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-AU">On</span><span lang="EN-AU" style="background:white;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">orina Saukelo RRRT Communications Assistant, </span><span lang="EN-AU"><a href="mailto:onorinas@spc.int "><span style="background:white;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">onorinas@spc.int </span></a></span><span lang="EN-AU" style="background:white;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">or
+679 330 5582</span><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"> </span>
<span lang="EN-AU"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">Useful Link:
</span></b><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">SPC Regional Rights Resource Team:
</span><span lang="EN-AU"><a href="http://rrrt.spc.int/dsm/"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">http://rrrt.spc.int</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-AU">To subscribe to SPC’s news mailing list, click the link below<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-AU"><a href="http://lists.spc.int/mailman/listinfo/press-releases">http://lists.spc.int/mailman/listinfo/press-releases</a></span><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span lang="EN-AU"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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