UPR Info

Enrich the Immigration Act by incorporating special provisions for the protection of refugees and asylum-seeking children, and introduce a provision on family reunification into the Act

Guarantee access to the participation and representation of ethnic minorities in the different instances of public and private life

Bring the juvenile justice system fully into line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child by raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility to an internationally accepted level

Raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility and make the necessary legal modifications so that children cannot be sentenced to life imprisonment

Finalize the adoption of the national plan of action to combat all manifestations of sexual exploitation of children and provide adequate human and financial resources for its implementation

Take urgent steps to eliminate commercial sexual exploitation of children by ratifying the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, activating the Inter-Agency Working Group on People Trafficking, and ensuring that the Inter-Agency Trafficking Task Force meets regularly and facilitates the implementation of the National Plan of Action to Eliminate Trafficking in Persons and Child Trafficking

Raise to 18 years the age of criminal responsibility and combat all forms of violence against children, including child labour and sexual exploitation

Consider taking temporary measures, including the introduction of a minimum quota of at least 30 per cent of women candidates on the electoral lists of political parties, and facilitate the selection and training of women candidates for public office, in particular at the decision-making level

Strengthen temporary special measures so as to reduce the gender gap and systematically address the concerns and rights of women in the public and private spheres

Consider introducing a universal basic income in order to better combat poverty and reduce inequalities, and improve the existing social protection system

Increase public funds to guarantee, in the case of natural disasters, the right to food, health and water and sanitation, as well as the construction of shelters that take into account the particular needs of women

Bring legislation on freedom of expression, assembly and association into line with international human rights standards, in particular, by repealing the Media Industry Development Decree 2010

Guarantee freedom of expression and opinion and freedom of the press, by ensuring respect for the rights of journalists and human rights defenders and reviewing the Media Industry Development Decree 2010, which punishes any journalistic publication against the general interest or public order, in order to avoid abusive interpretations

Amend the Media Industry Development Decree, the Public Order (Amendment) Act and the sedition provisions of the Crimes Act, which restrict freedom of expression, the press and assembly

Enhance measures aimed at protecting and promoting freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly, including by removing any legal obstacle to the exercise of these rights

Review legislation that affects freedom of speech, particularly the Crimes Act, the Media Industry Development Decree and the Public Order (Amendment) Act, to bring them into compliance with Fiji’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

Take the necessary measures in order to revise the law on the development of the media

Take measures to permit lawful labour, political and social protests, and to safeguard activists’ and human rights defenders’ rights to speak and peacefully assemble freely, without harassment, and unimpeded by inappropriately applied administrative impediments

Review decrees limiting freedom of expression and association, particularly the Media Industry Development Decree, the Essential National Industries (Employment) Decree and the Public Order (Amendment) Act

Repeal all laws and policies that unlawfully restrict fundamental rights of freedom of expression, assembly and association, including sections of the Public Order (Amendment) Act, the Media Industry Development Decree, the Electoral Act 2014 and the Online Safety Act

Adopt concrete measures to ensure that trade unions and human rights defenders are able to carry out their work, guaranteeing their freedom of expression, association and assembly and freedom of the press

Continue its efforts to guarantee the exhaustive investigation and prosecution of the authors of trafficking in persons and take all necessary steps to guarantee the effective application of the National Action Plan for the Eradication of Human Trafficking

Ensure implementation of recommendations from the visit of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to prevent, investigate, prosecute and punish acts of trafficking

Draft and implement an action plan to eradicate violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity