The Pacific Islands Lawyers for Human Rights Network (PILHRN) held its inaugural meeting on Monday the 31st of October. The venue was the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat in Suva, Fiji Islands.
This week marks the first formal occasion the Network's membership have come together to meet in Fiji to discuss a mandate and strategy to advocate for, and protect, universal human rights in the Pacific region.
The Pacific Islands Lawyers for Human Rights Network is a regional network of lawyers dedicated to investigating human rights abuses in the Pacific region and raising awareness of human rights issues. Lawyers in the network have already provided pro bono advice in a number of cases involving HIV, violence against women (VAW), harassment, criminal detainment, commercial sex workers and environmental issues.
The purpose of PILHRN is to allow Pacific island lawyers to network and assist one another in providing the best advice and timely services where human rights are concerned. Individuals or institutions approaching members of PILHRN for advice or representation are accessing a pool of regional human rights legal knowledge and experience. The Network's lawyers provide rapid legal responses and pro bono advice and preliminary work where human rights issues are at stake.
"The emphasis of this network is information sharing" says Russell Kun, the Network's Executive Officer and Chief Public Defender for the Republic of the Marshall Islands. "The purpose of PILHRN is to allow Pacific island lawyers to network and assist one another in providing the best advice and timely services where human rights are concerned. Individuals or institutions approaching members of PILHRN for advice or representation are accessing a pool of regional human rights legal knowledge and experience. The Network's lawyers can provide rapid legal responses and pro bono advice and preliminary work where human rights issues are at stake.
"The Network is still in its early stages but it has been quite effective lately" Kun says. For example, the introduction of domestic violence legislation in the Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI) was deferred in January this year when parliamentarians deemed a draft DV bill insufficiently progressed. The Pacific Islands Lawyers for Human Rights Network then became involved.
"My job was really easy" Kun says, "the draft bill was already there, the proposed bill. All I did was just send it out through the network and said give me your input, and it came in."These comments were forwarded to the RMI legislative (drafting) team and in September the amended legislation successfully passed through parliament.
Lionel Aingimea, a PILHRN Committee Member and Senior Legal Trainer for the Secretariat of the Pacific Community's Regional Rights Resource Team (SPC/RRRT) says the Network seeks to assist Pacific islanders directly,
"You have rights. You can enforce those rights, and we can help you to enforce those rights." Angimea says, "We want to provide advice that's free, put people in touch with services and tell them what they can access."
The idea for the Network originated in 2007. A nucleus of lawyers was formed to draft a constitution and establish an executive body. Nominations and elections for executive positions took place in 2010. The network expects to establish a web page and information portal in the months ahead with support from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community's Regional Rights Resource Team (SPC/RRRT).
The Network's executive is comprised of the following members:
Patron – Justice Vui C. Nelson of the Supreme Court of Samoa
Executive Officer – Mr. Russell Kun Esq. Chief Public Defender for the Republic of the Marshall Islands
Secretary – Ms. Sela Moa from Tonga
Treasurer – Ms. Resina Senikuraciri from Fiji
Committee Members – Ms. Barina Waqa (Principal legal Officer) from Nauru; Filipo Masaurua (Pacific Islands Forum Human Rights Advisor); Lionel Aingimea (SPC/RRRT Senior Legal Trainer)
For further information or interview requests please contact:
Russell Kun
+692 455 1707
[email protected]
Lionel Angimea
+679 757 5651
[email protected]