By Anish Chand
The United Nations Human Rights Council will scrutinise Fiji’s human rights records in November under the UN mandatory periodic review of members.
Fiji was last examined in October 2014 and was presented with 137 recommendations.
Then, Fiji was represented by the Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, , Chief Justice Anthony Gates, DPP Christopher Pryde and MIDA chair Ashwin Raj.
The review in November will be based on information received by three main documents from Fiji, including a report prepared by the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) containing information from UN agencies and a summary prepared by the OHCHR that contains information from local civil society.
Submissions from NGO’s and civil society groups can now be sent to OHCHR.
The review will look at several issues including promoting women’s rights, the democratic process, freedom of religion and expression, rights to housing and sanitation, the administration of justice and the role of the Human Rights Commission.
Rwanda, Saudi Arabia and Brazil will serve as rapporteurs for the review of Fiji in November.
