Govt plans to create human rights commission: Steven

By JACKLYN SIRIAS
MINISTER for Justice and Attorney-General Davis Steven says the Government is planning to create a human rights commission to address related issues in the country.
He told the 8th PNG Human Rights Film Festival organised by the United Nations team at the Port Moresby Arts Theatre that the Government recognised the challenges of not just having a constitution that enshrined the rights of people but doing something about them.
The film festival was organised to capture 17 sustainable development goals in PNG.
“I look back 42 years and all I see is a journey of a nation that cannot be separated with the principles of human rights because in the constitutional planning since 1975, a very clear advent and determination on the part of our forefathers who  framed the constitution to make sure that our nation observe and respect not only the UN charters but also the principles of human rights and freedom,” Steven said.
He also refered to Prime Minister Peter O’Neill’s address in a recent UN general assembly where he re-emphasised the thinking that PNG’s founding fathers had when they addressed human rights and freedom in the constitution. It was to have a careful balance between individual rights and freedom.
“The PM’s address made reference to the connection between human rights and the political and economic rights that the people must be able to achieve in order that we may achieve integral human development.”
Steven said he was pleased to notice that the UN organising team found a topic to draw attention to the important topic of human rights that needed Government support and support from  communities at large, including sponsors and  stakeholders.
“In the next few months, we want to be able to pass the necessary legislation to create a human rights commission in this country with a passage of a body that is established seemingly to monitor obligations to support and coordinate human rights issues.”
Steven said this would make meaningful progress for people and to help them achieve human rights goals.