Human rights

Snapshot

Tongan women defend their right to freedom of speech at a public rally. (Photo courtesy of Legal Literacy Project, Tonga Catholic Women's League.)

Since 2002, NZAID has been committed to integrating human rights into all of its programmes and policies. NZAID's Human Rights Policy sets out the agency's overarching human rights framework, including the rationale for integrating human rights into NZAID's organisational culture as well as into all of NZAID's policies, strategies, programmes and processes.

NZAID priorities

"A socially just and equitable Pacific Islands society based on principles of human rights, good governance and democracy." The Regional Rights Resource Team's vision.

NZAID's central focus is sustainable and equitable development. In order to reduce poverty as NZAID's Human Rights Policy states, NZAID addresses poverty reduction both as a human rights issue as well as a development issue.

Integrating human rights and development requires bringing together the standards and principles of human rights with the plans, policies and processes of development.

The current priority in this area is the integration of human rights and development in all NZAID's programmes, processes and practices.

This is being guided by NZAID's recent Human Rights Policy Implementation Plan of Action. This is a five year plan that sets out a process and timeframe to assist the agency with integrating human rights into all aspects of its operations.

NZAID on the ground

The Regional Rights Resource Team (RRRT)

Since 2002 NZAID has provided project funding to RRRT, a regional organisation based in Suva, Fiji. RRRT is currently shifting towards becoming an independent training and technical assistance facility. NZAID and RRRT have agreed to enter into a strategic partnership, consisting of core and programme funding for a five-year period and strategic level engagement.

RRRT provides training and advocacy in human rights to promote social justice and reduce poverty in the Pacific. The organisation is focused on eight countries in the region - Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Its aim is to strengthen the capacity of the Pacific region to promote principles of human rights and good governance in order to achieve greater democracy based on social justice.

RRRT has established national partners in seven of the eight focus countries. These partners host Legal Rights Training Officers (LRTOs) funded, trained and mentored by RRRT. LRTOs conduct community-level workshops, undertake public awareness programmes and play an active role in local and national policy dialogue. They also provide counselling, advisory, referral and information services on human and legal rights.

For example, RRRT's partner in the Cook Islands offers an important service to the community through its promotion of and advocacy for the rights of women and children. The organisation does this through supporting women and children affected by domestic violence, producing educational programmes on these issues for media broadcast and conducting training on rights for women and children.

The local LRTOs in the Cook Islands also assist and counsel locals needing advice on problems of domestic violence, marriage difficulties, custody and property disputes. It also runs workshops for community leaders and students raising awareness on human rights, youth-related crime and potential solutions, and on the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

RRRT's influence can be seen at a higher level as well. For example, RRRT played a critical role in lobbying, advocating and providing technical support for the family law reform process in Fiji. In October 2003 Fiji's parliament finally and unanimously passed the controversial Family Law Act, widely considered a groundbreaking piece of legislation in the Pacific region. The new Family Law Act which came into affect in January 2005, heralds a new era for Fiji families - women and children in particular. It will remove systemic discrimination against women, create a level playing field, put children at the focus of decisions and ensure parents adequately care for their children.

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