BY BEN BILUA
GIZO

The United Nations (UN) is urging Solomon Islands to establish an independent national human rights institution in line with international standards.

The call was made as part of the recommendations from the third cycle of the country’s Human Rights Review.

In its submission, the UN highlights that Solomon Islands must create an institution that aligns with the Paris Principles — the international framework that guides the role and functioning of national human rights bodies.

Recommendations from member states such as Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and Burkina Faso stressed the need for the institution to achieve “A” status to ensure credibility and compliance before the next review.

Solomon Islands is already a party to several UN conventions, agreements, and treaties, including the Convention against Torture (CAT), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), among others.

However, according to the UN, the country is lagging behind in meeting its obligations. It stressed that ratification alone is not enough and member states must domesticate international agreements into national laws or regulations to give them full effect.

The establishment of a human rights institution will play a crucial role in monitoring, promoting, and protecting human rights in Solomon Islands; ensuring compliance with international commitments and safeguarding the rights of its citizens.

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