One of the key mandates of the Office of the Human Rights (the
Office) is to coordinate and assist human rights treaty reporting
as well as Universal Periodic Review (UPR) reporting that identify
the DJBC as the focal institution. DJBC is responsible for
reporting on the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel,
Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. During this
reporting period, the Office:
- assisted the Department of Persons Living with Disabilities in
completing the final draft for the Initial State Report to the
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities after
being 7 years overdue;
- coordinated the 3rd Cycle Universal Periodic Review for the
Republic of Nauru by completing and submitting its National
Report, engaging in the Review and responding to the 3rd Cycle UPR
Recommendations. This will form the basis of the 3rd Cycle UPR
Recommendation Implementation Plan also known as UPR RIP. This will
be formulated and disseminated to specified departments to include
in annual operation plans or as new project proposals;
- worked with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to
stabilise the function of the Working Group on Treaties (WGT) as
the national monitoring, implementation, reporting and follow-up
mechanism;
- put forward human rights advices in relation to selecting Human
Rights Council Resolution for the Role of Good Governance in
the Protection of Human Rights; Contributions of Parliaments to the
HRC and UPR; the human Rights to Safe Drinking Water and Realizing
the Equal Enjoyment of the Right to Education by Every Girl.
It is always essential to share the national views of Nauru with
the international community to maintain our sovereignty;
- contributed to the Report of UN Special Rapporteurs in
responding to the Questionnaire on the Accountability of gross
violations of human rights and serious violation of international
humanitarian law in the context of transitional justice
processes. These exercises show Nauru's compliance to
processes that it has obligated itself to by being members of the
UN or by declaring its support at the UPR;
- collaborated with the Office of the Legislative Drafter to
formulate the National Human Rights Commission Bill which is now in
its final stage of endorsement; and
- assisted the Office of Public Defenders with family cases
whereby 1 divorce case was resolved and 5 cases of maintenance,
enforcement for maintenance, custody of children, adoption and
divorce remain pending with the Family Court.
Our Team
| Position |
Name |
| Director for Human Rights |
Vacant |
| Pledger (Human Rights) |
Stella Duburiya |
| Para Legal (Human Rights) |
Katherine Belong |
Objectives
- Work with key agencies on monitoring, implementing, reporting
and following up on human rights efforts in Nauru.
Motivation
Human Rights are constitutional rights.
Strategic Plan Priority Area 2 & 4:
Social & Community / Cost Cutting Sectors
Cross-Goal 2
Strengthen Parliament, audit, justice, law, order and border
control.
Soc-Goal 5
A just society that recognizes and respects the rights of women
and children, that promotes equal opportunities.
Achievements
A UPR Recommendation Implementation Plan (UPRRIP) based on the
recommendations put forward by the UPR Member States at the 2nd
cycle was finalised and endorsed by the Secretary for Justice and
Border Control in December 2019.
In preparation for Nauru's UPR which was initially scheduled for
November 2020, the Office assisted the Permanent Mission of Nauru
to Switzerland on the selection of the Troika which was to
officially take place on 14 January 2020. Troika is a group of
three Council Member States which facilitates the UPR of a
particular State.
In May to June 2020, the Office of the Human Rights
conducted the Key Stakeholder Consultation for the collation of the
3rd Cycle Universal Periodic Review State Report for the Republic
of Nauru. Drafting and finalisation of the Report was completed in
September 2020 meeting its submission deadline.
In February 2021, the UPR for Nauru was conducted via zoom with
the facilitation of the Permanent Mission to Nauru in Geneva,
Switzerland and the UPR Secretariat.
Recommendations from various states were posed to the Republic
to which a response reflecting Nauru's stance on each different
recommendation was reverted by March 2021.
This is the first UPR report to be drafted and the first UPR to
be facilitated under the tenure of a local head of section for the
Office of Human Rights with the assistance of the JBC
Secretariat.
Way Forward
- The Office of the Human Rights is doing its best to put in
place a process that will ease the UPR process and human rights
treaty obligations that it is responsible for. Currently, it is
drafting the national monitoring, implementation, reporting and
follow up manual that will clarify a working system for the
collection of data and information on human rights efforts of the
Republic of Nauru.
- The addition of the Director of Human Rights in the new DJBC
structure will ensure that there are more hands on deck to achieve
the objectives and arrive at favorable outcomes of what needs to be
done.