3rd Annual Meeting for Regional Working Group on the Implementation of Family Protection/Domestic Violence Legislation

The 3rd Annual Meeting of the RWG seeks to build on key recommendations arising from the 14th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women in April 2021, regarding Gender-Based Violence, and the outcomes of the 2nd Annual Meeting of the RWG, by continuing the conversation amongst key government implementers of the FP/DV Legislation. The RWG’s key priority areas – advisory committees, counselling, and data collection - will serve as thematic areas for the sessions, presentations, and discussions, in its closed meeting. 

Chaired by Chief Executive of the Ministry of Justice, Samoa, Moiliei Vaai, the third Annual Meeting will be held both online and in-person in Fiji from 22-24 August 2022 from 10am to 4pm (Fiji time)

Role:

The RWG is a vehicle of high-level government representatives from ministries with responsibility for implementing domestic violence legislation, to meet regularly to:

  • Share information and good practices in relation to the implementation of domestic violence legislation.
  • Discuss common regional strategies and initiatives to improve the implementation of domestic violence legislation.

Overall Objectives

  1. To share progress, key challenges faced, lessons learned and resources in advancing the implementation of the domestic violence legislation in the Pacific region.
  2. Agree on regional priority actions and opportunities for technical and/or financial support to RWG members.
  3. Agree on actions for the RWG to take on board to ensure that services provided for by FP/DV legislation are available and accessible for victims/survivors of violence against women.
  4. Agree on actions for the RWG to take forward to ensure that its work more effectively supports and complements or is incorporated into  recent gender equality developments in the Pacific, including the 14th Triennial Women’s Conference and 7th Ministers of Women meeting (2021),  the Pacific Leaders Gender Equality Declaration, the work of the Pacific Islands Forum Women Leaders,  the inclusion of gender equality as an agenda item at the 52nd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting scheduled for 2023, and the work under the Pacific Women Lead Programme.     

The 3rd Annual Meeting of the Regional Working Group on the Implementation of Family Protection/Domestic Violence is funded by the New Zealand Government.

For more information, contact: Neomai Maravakula, Team Leader – Governance & Institutional Strengthening (HRSD): [email protected]

Previous meetings of RWG:

The RWG was established in October 2018, as part of the “Regional Consultation on the Implementation of Domestic Violence Legislation: from Law to Practice”. The regional consultation was convened by the then Regional Rights Resource Team (RRRT) of the Pacific Community (SPC).

The meeting brought together Pacific Island Countries (PIC) and States which had legislation to address family/domestic violence, with representation from Government Ministries / Departments with the mandate to implement their country/state’s family protection and domestic violence (FP/DV) legislation. It reflected on progress, key challenges faced, lessons learned, and resources needed in advancing the implementation of the domestic violence legislation in the Pacific region. RRRT was invited to act as Secretariat for the RWG. 
Following its inaugural meeting in Fiji in May 2019, the RWG agreed to focus on three broad priority areas to inform its work – counselling, advisory committees/councils, and data collection and monitoring and evaluation. To facilitate the implementation of activities under each priority area, the RWG set up subcommittees with clear roles and responsibilities.

Secretariat:
The Human Rights and Social Development Division (HRSD) of the Pacific Community (SPC) is the Secretariat of the RWG. As the Secretariat, HRSD facilitates information sharing between members, coordinates RWG plans and activities, supports the RWG in convening its annual meetings, collects data to track countries’ progress over time with respect to the implementation of domestic violence legislation, financial management of the budget of the RWG, and leads fundraising efforts for the operation of the RWG and implementation of its
plans.