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APF visits Federated States of Micronesia

Graphic: Meeting with the Pohnpei Women's Council.

Community members, NGOs and government officials have described the human rights challenges in the Pacific Island nation.


Community members, NGOs and government officials from different corners of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) have highlighted the human rights challenges in the Pacific Island nation, as part of consultations with the APF and the South Pacific Community's Regional Rights Resource Team (RRRT)

Family violence, the status of women and children, human trafficking, youth unemployment, working conditions and access to justice were some of the issues raised in conversations.

Despite the tremendous diversity of language and culture across FSM, there was strong support amongst all those consulted for the establishment of a national human rights institution that could help address these challenges.

Many people noted that there were no institutions, apart from the courts, that people could turn to when they experienced human rights violations.


Graphic: Meeting with the Pohnpei Disabled People's Council


The APF will provide a report to the FSM Government setting out the findings of its consultations and options for it to consider if it decides to establish a national human rights institution.

FSM, located in the western Pacific Ocean, comprises more than 600 islands and is home to around 100,000 people. It is made up of four island states: Pohnpei, Kosrae, Chuuk and Yap.

The scoping visit was undertaken by APF NHRI Expert Rosslyn Noonan and Romulo Nayasalevu from the RRRT. It is the fifth such visit in the Pacific in the previous 12 months.

Previous scoping visits by the APF and RRRT have been conducted in Tuvalu, Nauru, the Cook Islands and the Marshall Islands.

A Bill to establish a national human rights institution in Tuvalu is currently before the Parliament.

Date: 6 September 2017


Image credits

  1. Meeting with the Pohnpei Women's Council. - APF
  2. Meeting with the Pohnpei Disabled People's Council - APF