CIVICUS, a global civil society alliance, calls on the governments in eight countries in the Pacific to do more to respect civic freedoms and strengthen institutions to protect these rights. While civic space ratings in these countries are generally positive, concerns remain about threats to press freedom, the use of laws to criminalise online expression, and failure to establish national human rights institutions or ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
A brief published today by the CIVICUS Monitor, looks at the state of civic space in eight Pacific Island countries: Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu. It focuses on respect for and limitations to the freedoms of association, expression and peaceful assembly, which are fundamental to the exercise of civic rights. These freedoms are guaranteed in the national constitutions of all these countries as well as in the ICCPR.
Press freedom remains a concern in several countries, including Nauru, PNG, Samoa and Solomon Islands. There have been incidents of harassment, intimidation and dismissal of journalists in retaliation for their work. Cases of censorship have also been reported, along with denial of access, exclusion of journalists from government events and refusal of visas to foreign journalists. In several countries, including Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, PNG and Samoa, the absence of freedom of information laws makes it extremely difficult for journalists and the public to access official information.
Countries such as Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu, continue to enforce criminal defamation laws, creating a chilling environment for the media, human rights defenders and anyone seeking to express themselves or criticise governments. In recent years, Fiji, PNG and Samoa have also used cybercrime laws to criminalise online expression.
"Governments in the Pacific must do more to protect press freedom and ensure that journalists can work freely and without fear of retribution for expressing critical opinions or covering topics the government may find sensitive. They must also pass freedom of information legislation and remove criminal defamation provisions in law so that they are not used to criminalise expression both off and online,” said Josef Benedict, CIVICUS Asia Pacific researcher.
CIVICUS is concerned that at least four countries – Kiribati, Nauru, Solomon Islands and Tonga – have yet to ratify the ICCPR, which imposes obligations on states to respect and protect civic freedoms. Further, four countries – Kiribati, Nauru, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu – lack national human rights institutions (NHRI). In PNG and Tonga, the Office of the Ombudsman plays monitors and responds to human rights issues, but calls remain for establishing an independent body in line with the Paris Principles, which set international standards for national human rights institutions.
“It is time all Pacific countries ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and ensure its laws are consistent with it. Governments must also to establish national human rights institutions to ensure effective monitoring and reporting on human rights issues. This will also allow for better accountability for violations of civic freedoms,” added Benedict.
About the CIVICUS Monitor
Over twenty organisations collaborate on the CIVICUS Monitor to provide an evidence base for action to improve civic space on all continents. Civic freedoms in 198 countries and territories are categorised as ither open, narrowed, obstructed, repressed or closed, based on a methodology that combines several data sources on the freedoms of association, peaceful assembly and expression.
Civic space is open in Kiribati and Samoa, narrowed in Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu and obstructed in Nauru and Papua New Guinea.
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