Team wraps up Samoa Human Rights assessment

A week long capacity assessment exercise is a first step for the Ombudsman’s office towards consultations to find out public concerns relating to human rights.

Thursday night saw the Office of the Ombudsman host a reception dinner at the Samoa Tradition Resort for guests from across the Pacific as part of the week-long assessment. The Ombudsman invited a delegation from the Asia Pacific Forum for National Human Rights Institutions (APF),

United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and Pacific Ombudsman Alliance (POA) to conduct the exercise with the purpose of determining the needs of the office to fulfil its new responsibilities to protect and promote human rights in Samoa.

“We are here simply to help them articulate their needs and support with developing a strategy to fulfil their mandate,” said team leader, Rossyln Noonan (APF).

“The capacity assessment exercise is designed to help the Ombudsman’s Office fully understand what is required for them to carry out their new role.

The delegation spent the week helping the Ombudsman conduct an internal assessment of their existing capacity and helping to identify where they need to develop.

On 10th December, the Office of the Ombudsman became the National Human Rights Institution for Samoa and the Ombudsman said he is under no illusions as to the challenges ahead.

“Our new mandate to protect and promote human rights in Samoa is a great responsibility for our Office,” said Ombudsman Afioga Maiava Iulai Toma.

“We in Samoa enjoy a high degree of freedom and dignity in comparison to many of our neighbours and countries further afield.

“However, we must not become complacent and we will work tirelessly to protect the culture and traditions that make our country so great and to identify where improvements can be made.”

Also in attendance at the Samoa Tradition Resort were a number of representatives from national organisations and Government Ministries who the Capacity Assessment team consulted with during their visit.

Among the guests were the Attorney General, Aumua Ming Leung Wai, Executive Director of the Law Reform Commission, Leota Theresa Potoi, CEO of the Ministry for Women, Culture, Sports and Development, Leituala Kuiniselani Toelupe Tago-Elisara, as well as representatives from SUNGO, SENESE, the Ministry of Police and Prisons, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Samoa Observer.

Consultations were sought with these Government Ministries and other organisations to find out what their expectations of the Office of the Ombudsman are in their new capacity as the National Human Rights Institution of Samoa.

The Ombudsman highlighted how critical it will be for his office to seek the views and opinions of a wide range of people in their new role to be able to effectively protect and promote human rights. Human Rights Officer Solamalemola Hai- Yuean Tualima supported this view saying, “once we have the necessary staff and resources in place we will want to speak to the whole spectrum of Samoan society – we need you to tell us the issues that are affecting you and how we can help support change.”

The dinner at Samoan Traditional Resort represented the end of the first step for the Office of the Ombudsman in identifying what is required to be able to fulfil its human rights role. Now they say they will be working with the Government to obtain the funding and resources they need to carry out their new responsibilities.

“That will be the time when you can stand up and tell the Office about the issues affecting you the most and your ideas on how we can secure a better future for Samoa,” said Solamalemola.