Report - Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights

5.2 National Level
• Establish national human rights institutions in Pacific Island countries as forums for complaints
and as institutions that can inform government’s efforts to promote human rights;
• Develop a national plan <strong>of</strong> action for women, housing and land that includes <strong>the</strong> input <strong>of</strong> NGOs
and community-based organisations (CBOs);
• Ensure that government budgets meet women’s needs by specifying items <strong>of</strong> expenditure (e.g.
electricity, water, housing etc.), and conduct gender audits to ensure transparency <strong>of</strong> allocations
and budgetary expenditures;
• Ratify all international human rights instruments, including <strong>the</strong>ir Optional Protocols;
• Review national land laws in order to ensure women’s equality while eliminating conflicts with
customary laws;
• Integrate a gender analysis in programme design, to ensure that an intersectional analysis informs
<strong>the</strong> programme;
• Ensure recognition <strong>of</strong> international human rights laws in constitutions <strong>of</strong> all Pacific Island
countries;
• Undertake test cases and develop a database <strong>of</strong> test cases;
• Conduct more national research on LGBT issues;
• Collect national data that is disaggregated by sexuality;
• Raise awareness on issues <strong>of</strong> women’s human rights to adequate housing and land through <strong>the</strong>
media (i.e. radio and television discussions). Harnessing media focus on such issues has been
a successful means in <strong>the</strong> past <strong>of</strong> placing government institutions in <strong>the</strong> public limelight and
evoking a quicker response from <strong>the</strong>m. (e.g. invite governments to public hearings to present
<strong>the</strong>ir positions);
• Lobby for legal and policy reform – particularly in areas where <strong>the</strong>re has been minimum progress
due to <strong>the</strong> lack <strong>of</strong> political will and controversial nature <strong>of</strong> matters;
• Explore and document <strong>the</strong> ways in which politicians and judges apply human rights in <strong>the</strong> law;
• Train members <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> judiciary and parliament, as well as traditional leaders, policy-makers and
landowners on women’s human rights;
• Replicate consultations like this on women’s rights to adequate housing and land at <strong>the</strong> national
level with an aim <strong>of</strong> reaching out to more women and CBOs;
• Urge governments to complete <strong>the</strong> questionnaire on women and adequate housing developed by
<strong>the</strong> UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, and to share <strong>the</strong>ir responses with civil society.
5.3 Regional Level
• Streng<strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong> “Women in Politics” programme at <strong>the</strong> regional level;
• Support <strong>the</strong> regional initiative to establish national human rights institutions in <strong>the</strong> Pacific;
• Document and film stories <strong>of</strong> violations <strong>of</strong> women’s rights to adequate housing and land as well
as <strong>the</strong> best practices <strong>of</strong> addressing <strong>the</strong>se violations. The film could be presented to a panel <strong>of</strong>
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