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As a fellow member of the Pacific Islands Forum, New Zealand welcomes the delegate of the Republic of the Marshall Islands today, at the adoption of its Universal Periodic Review.
On 5 November last year, New Zealand took part in the UPR of the Marshall Islands, making several recommendations about the ratification of international human rights treaties, combating violence against women and improving children’s rights.
The Marshall Islands delegation engaged actively in the process and made some commitments in areas of interest to New Zealand. These included a welcome statement that it intended to address the matter of ratification of major international human rights instruments, and that it was actively pursuing the problem of violence against women, while conceding that further efforts needed to be made.
In the area of children’s rights, the delegation stated that a review of child protection legislation was under way, with assistance from the United Nations Children’s Fund. The review would permit the identification of gaps which needed to be filled in order to improve child protection in the Marshall Islands.
New Zealand welcomes these responses, while acknowledging at the same time the limited nature of the resources at the disposal of the Marshall Islands as a small island state. We look forward in due course to the majority of the recommendations made by the international community during the UPR receiving full consideration by the Marshall Islands, with a view to their implementation.
Thank you.
