Roadmap for a rights body in Samoa
A report prepared by APF consultants will provide the Government of Samoa with a detailed framework for establishing a national human rights institution.
Parliament of Samoa, Apia
Photo by Stefan Lins, Flickr Creative Commons
The Government of Samoa will shortly consider the next steps towards establishing an independent national human rights institution, when it is presented with a report setting out a detailed framework for implementation.
The report was prepared by APF consultants, Susan Roberts and Paul Oliver, who visited the Pacific Island country from 24-28 October 2011 at the invitation of the government.
While in Samoa, they held comprehensive discussions with representatives of the Attorney-General’s Office and the Office of the Ombudsman.
They worked closely with both offices to identify the systems, processes, resources and other logistics that would be required to establish a national human rights institution within the existing Office of the Ombudsman.
During their visit to Samoa, the consultants also met with a number of other key stakeholders, including members of the Law and Justice Sector Committee, the Law Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development.
Based on their research and consultations, the report will present concrete recommendations about the structure, size, roles and functions of a proposed Human Rights Commission, the resources that will be required and how it can meet the international standards for national human rights institutions.
This report is the latest step in a close partnership between the APF and the Government of Samoa, which first began in April 2009 when the APF was invited to conduct a scoping mission about the potential creation of a national human rights institution.
Samoa is one of a number of Pacific Island countries currently taking steps towards establishing a national human rights institution, including Papua New Guinea, Palau and Vanuatu.
Date: 17 November 2011
