The Nitijela held a five-day induction seminar last week that Speaker Kenneth Kedi said was “a platform” for Nitijela members to “contribute to the national dialog on key development issues and sustainable development for the Marshall Islands.”
The program was co-sponsored by the Pacific Community, United Nations Development Program, UN Women’s Program, UN Human Rights, and the Parliament of Australia.
A solid turnout of Nitijela members was on hand for last Monday’s opening, though the number of attendees dwindled the second day.
A team of high-level officials from around the region joined the event as resource people, including UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Akiko Fujii, Alan Griffin from the Australian Parliament, Deputy Director of the Pacific Community’s Deputy Director, Regional Rights Resource Team Mark Atterton, Judge Stephen Pallaras from Australia and Catherine Phuon of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
In addition to presentations by the visiting resource people, representatives from the Ministries of Finance, Health, Education, Internal Affairs, and T&C, and from agencies such as EPPSO, Majuro Atoll Waste Company, RMI EPA, Air Marshall Islands, OEPPC, Chief Secretary and Attorney General, as well as WUTMI engaged with the senators.
A snapshot of Thursday’s sessions focused on the link among human rights, good governance and development, and RMI government obligations to respect, protect and fulfill human rights requirements, such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Read more about this in the March 4, 2016 edition of the Marshall Islands Journal.