Human Rights

Lawyer for the transferees Ben Lomai said the state was served section 5 notice today (Monday).

“We have served Section 5 Notice on the State this afternoon. The applications will be filed tomorrow (Tuesday) morning,” he said.

Kurdish-Iran journalist Behrouz Boochani tweeted on social media that he was one of those in Lorengau who filed affidavits today supporting the Supreme Court application, which will be filed on Tuesday seeking injunctive orders.

“We hope our lawyers prevent the government (sic) taking refugees out by force & cutting water,” he tweeted.

And the journey and challenge continues 42 years on, says Davis Steven, the Minister for Justice & Attorney General.

He said the PNG constitution recognises not only the UN charters but also the principles of human rights and freedom.

A human rights commission is the current government’s show of commitment to this area.

The agreement focuses on the SPC's Regional Rights Resource Team (RRRT) based in Suva.

The SPC said it was pleased the Swedish government shared its vision for a socially just and equitable Pacific and had matched that commitment with material action.

Anne-Charlotte Malm from Sweeden's Regional Asia and Pacific Embassy in Bangkok said Sweden was excited about the partnership.

PNG has rectified some core conventions.

They’re the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Rights of the Child and Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

PNG has also signed treaties for the core covenants on civil and political rights, racial discrimination and economic, social and cultural rights.

National Human Rights Officer Alithia Barampataz said that when a country rectifies a human rights convention it has to implement it at the domestic level.

National Human Rights Officer, Alithia Barampataz, says DfCDYR must take the lead in fulfilling PNG’s human rights obligations and that is to implement its rectified UN human rights treaties.

Barampataz highlighted that the portfolios under the department play a very big role in policy development, collecting information on the human rights treaty reports.

The portfolios include the disability section, gender development and human rights branch, Lukautim Pikinini Council and family welfare services.

Mokono was an active participant at a two-day human rights workshop that ended today in Port Moresby.

She was among 36 participants from various key Government partners, including the Department for Community Development, Youth and Religion (DfCDYR), Foreign Affairs, Justice and Attorney General, Constitutional Law Reform Commission and National Planning.

Mokono said human rights issues in our societies are an everyday occurrence. Responsible stakeholders need to understand the basic human rights and obligations that the country holds to implement policy goals.

Papua New Guinea has ratified six of the core human rights treaties. These include the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Convention on the Rights of the Child and Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The workshop was hosted by the Department for Community Development, Youth and Religion (DfCDYR) in partnership with the UN Office of the Human Rights Commission (UNOHRC).

There are six core human rights treaties rectified by PNG, including the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Convention on the Rights of the Child and Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Poudyal revealed during a workshop on gender and human rights yesterday that the implementation of the agreements is not up to the point that is satisfactory.

Poudyal explained that all reports are due to be submitted.

The workshop started today in Port Moresby.

It is hosted by the gender development and human rights branch of the Department for Community Development and Religion, in partnership with the UN Office of the Human Rights Commission (UNOHRC).

The aim of the workshop is to provide basic understanding of human rights and PNG’s human rights obligations to the Department’s staff and officers from other key Government departments.