<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
span.EmailStyle18
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
<div class="WordSection1">
<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="1089" height="163" id="Picture_x0020_5" src="cid:image003.png@01D43A0C.1D5C16E0"><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 lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:18.0pt">Vanuatu ready to move forward on key human rights conventions<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:49.25pt;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:49.65pt;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center">
<b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:18.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:49.25pt"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt">22 August 2018
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-right:49.25pt;text-align:center">
<b><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:16.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:49.25pt;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">Port Vila, Vanuatu
</span></b><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">–</span><span lang="EN-AU"> Key government agencies and stakeholders in Vanuatu have begun the first steps towards the nation’s implementation of
</span><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">the Convention on the Rights of Children (CRC) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) at a meeting organized by the Pacific Community’s (SPC) Regional
Rights Resources Team (RRRT). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:49.25pt;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">The week long meeting, which was held in the Vanuatu’s capital of Port Vila, provided national members of the CEDAW and CRC Committees
an opportunity to consult with RRRT, UN Women, UNICEF, and the Melanesian Spearhead Group on pressing issues about the implementation of these treaties.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:49.25pt;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">During the consultation, experiences from other Pacific Island Countries were shared, discussed and actively debated. Elizabeth
Emil, Vanuatu Chief Desk Officer within the Ministry of Justice and Community Services, expressed her satisfaction in the consultation process saying, “It provided a clear understanding about the process of implementing policies, legislations and programs
to achieve human rights obligations. It is not a simple process, but with the knowledge we received today I am confident Vanuatu can meet its obligations.”
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:49.25pt;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">Coordination and close partnerships are seen as key to advancing this work. Secretary of the Vanuatu Law Commission, Lawson Samuel
said, “this consultation has demonstrated to us the importance of coordination and cooperation within and between government and NGOs. The closer we work together on these treaties the more successful we all will be.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:49.25pt;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">At a global level, UN CEDAW and CRC Committees are made up of independent experts on women and children’s rights from around the
world who monitor implementation of human rights conventions. Countries who have become party to a UN treaty (a State party) are obliged to regularly update the respective Committee on progress made by the countries in meeting their obligations. The Committee
then makes recommendations to the State party in the form of concluding observations.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:49.25pt;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">The UN CEDAW Committee issued concluding observations to Vanuatu in 2016 and the CRC Committee issued in 2017. As a result of
this consultation, an implementation plan was drafted to address the observations made in relation to both CEDAW and CRC.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:49.25pt;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">The Vanuatu Government, through the Ministry of Justice and Community Services will finalise the draft implementation plan and
seek endorsement from the Council of Ministers. Following endorsement, various government agencies will carry out their respective actions and report back to the UN Committees in 2020 and 2021. RRRT will provide continuous support through its Country Focal
Officer and the Senior Human Rights Advisors. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:49.25pt;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">RRRT has operated for over 20 years as the region’s pioneer in human rights and gender capacity building to Pacific Island countries
(PICs), institutions and civil society. RRRT provides a comprehensive suite of policy and legislative advice, technical assistance and capacity building to support PICs in responding effectively to priority areas of human rights, such as gender equality, ending
violence against women and children, disability rights, climate change, and equitable, sustainable development.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:49.25pt;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">About SPC:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:49.25pt;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">The Pacific Community (SPC) is the principal scientific and technical organisation in the Pacific. Established in 1947, it gathers
26 Member Countries and Territories and works for the development and advancement of the Pacific peoples. For more information, please visit our website on
<a href="http://www.spc.int">www.spc.int</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:49.25pt;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><b><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">Media contact:</span></b><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:49.25pt;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span lang="EN-AU" style="background:white;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">Onorina Saukelo, RRRT Communications Assistant, <u><span style="color:blue"><a href="mailto:onorinas@spc.int">onorinas@spc.int</a></span></u><span style="color:blue">
</span>or +679 330 5582</span><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:49.25pt;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU">To subscribe to SPC’s news mailing list, click the link below:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:49.25pt;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span lang="EN-AU" style="mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"><a href="http://lists.spc.int/mailman/listinfo/press-releases">http://lists.spc.int/mailman/listinfo/press-releases</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right:49.25pt;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>