Photo: Ronny Hansen, Rainforest Foundation Norway

A group of civil society organisations, including ACT NOW!, Global Witness and Rainforest Foundation Norway, held a panel discussion inside the Palace of Nations in Geneva on Friday to review the outcomes from Papua New Guinea’s Universal Periodic Review.

The event was held just minutes after the UN Human Rights Working Group concluded a three-and-half hour review of the human rights situation in PNG. More than fifty countries spoke during the review and around 175 recommendations were made.

The UPR session highlighted the numerous serious human rights issues in PNG, especially those affecting women, children, sexual minorities and indigenous landowners and the lack of progress on these issues since the first UPR in 2011. PNG admitted it has failed to establish a Human Rights Institution in the country as previously promised. Police brutality and excessive use of force by law enforcement agencies was another prominent issue highlighted in the review. 

Norway, Chile and Thailand recommended Papua New Guinea address the long over due SABL land grab and illegal logging, while Mexico and Malaysia spoke on indigenous people’s rights and recommended PNG do more to protect them. Switzerland highlighted the issue of police violence, especially in matters related to communal land rights. Guatemala recommended  PNG pay more attention to human rights violations in the extractive and logging industries.

The panel discussion was well attended by representatives of the permanent missions including Australia, Switzerland, Norway and PNG and civil society organisations. They heard speakers from Global Witness, Edmund Rice International, Rainforest Foundation and ACT NOW! who emphasised the lack of action by PNG after its last UPR and the need for continued vigilence and support from the international community.

The event was co-hosted by Franciscans International.