UK Statement on Papua New Guinea at the 25th Session of the Universal Periodic Review, Geneva, 2 - 13 May 2016
The UK delivers its statement on the Universal Periodic Review of Papua New Guinea, 9 May 2016.
The UPR takes place at the Palais des Nations, Geneva
Thank you Mr President,
The UK welcomes the delegation from the Papua New Guinea Government. We thank the Papua New Guinea Government for its national report and its engagement with the UPR process .
We congratulate Papua New Guinea for the Family Protection Act 2013 and encourage it to develop a strategy to prevent and respond to Gender-Based Violence.
Whilst we welcome Papua New Guinea’s commitment to a number of international human rights obligations in the framework of their international action plan we hope to see progress on legislative changes.
We regret that a national human rights institution has not yet been established, despite the 1997 endorsement by the Government and the 2011 UPR recommendation which was supported by Papua New Guinea . We would like to ask what steps have been taken to prepare for the establishment of a national human rights institution since 2001. We have two recommendations :
-
Establish the National Human Rights Institution as endorsed by the National Executive Council in 1997, and recommended in the UPR in 2011 and supported by Papua New Guinea.
-
Work closely with the Autonomous Government of Bougainville to secure a transitional justice process without human rights violations.
Thank you Mr President.