The Department for Community Development, Youth and Religion (DfCDYR) plays a critical role in fulfilling PNG’s human rights obligations.
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.
She said they also play a role in implementation and making those rights real.
Barampataz stressed that it’s great to rectify these conventions and write good reports regularly but if it’s not improving the lives of people then it doesn’t really have a lot of meaning.
She added that the Department has to take the lead in ensuring that the implementation of the conventions must have an impact on the people.
PNG has rectified six of a total of nine core conventions, which include the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Rights of the Child and Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
It also includes the core covenants on civil and political rights, racial discrimination and economic, social and cultural rights.