UN leader highlights govt’s relationship with civil society

THE strength of the relationship between Government and civil society in Papua New Guinea has been highlighted during a visit by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein.
Meeting with the Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, the UN High Commissioner noted discussions he had held with members of the PNG civil society during his visit, and the positive impression he had felt about it.
O’Neill thanked the high commissioner for visiting for the first time and highlighted the importance of working with all parties
“Civil society in Papua New Guinea, including NGOs, academia, churches, social groups and many others, know that they all have the space to speak as partners of the Government,” the prime minister said.
“Members of civil society have a very important contribution to make to the development and implementation of Government policy.
“The observations of the high commissioner are comforting as this Government has made a concerted effort to engage with all stakeholders, particularly civil society.
“By working with Government, business and civil society, we build our nation and strengthen communities.”
During discussions, the prime minister and the high commissioner talked about the prospects of establishing a Human Rights Commission in PNG.
“We are working though the details required to establish this important office and look to making an announcement soon before the matter is put to parliament for discussion,” O’Neill said.
As our country continues to advance, we will still experience the human rights issues that are experienced by countries around the world.