The Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission strongly recommends Fiji ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
During his submission to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence today Director, Ashwin Raj says the ratification will create conditions of the possibility for national conversation.
Raj says he’s glad the government has taken a positive step towards this.
“I think the ratification yet another two core human rights treaties will just strengthen that provision and our ability to interpret our bill of rights robustly, contrapuntally against international human rights law.”
He says the covenants place a positive obligation on the state to not only protect individuals against violations committed by the state and also private persons or entities that would impair the enjoyment of covenant rights.
