Australia in Switzerland
Bern and Geneva
Switzerland, Liechtenstein

Statement193

Universal Periodic Review Working Group – 11th Session

Universal Periodic Review of the Republic of Palau

Statement by Australia
3 May 2011

Australia welcomes the delegation from the Republic of Palau and would particularly like to acknowledge and congratulate Palau, as a Small Island State, on its participation in the UPR process, which requires considerable effort given limited resources.

We welcome the Republic of Palau’s commitment to fulfilling its human rights obligations, particularly under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

We commend progress demonstrated by the Republic of Palau in raising awareness of the protection of children and with recent legislation aimed at protecting children from violent crimes.

We congratulate the Republic of Palau on drafting a national policy and guidelines for protecting the rights of people with disabilities and for endorsing the Pacific Regional Strategy on Disability in October 2009. We encourage Palau to anchor such protections in legislation.

We welcome recent in-country training and the translation of the convention into the Palauan language so that all Palauans can participate in the discussions on ratifying the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. We remain concerned about continuing reports of violence against women and urge Palau to put in place legislation to protect women’s rights and address domestic violence.

We note the challenges faced by the Republic of Palau in attaining development goals, as set out in the National Report. Australia is pleased to be working in partnership with the Republic of Palau on inclusive approaches to these challenges that respect the right of every Palauan to contribute to and benefit from Palau’s development.

Australia recommends the Republic of Palau:


1. Ensure human rights are afforded full legal protection in the Republic of Palau;


2. Ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and work to implement the Pacific Regional Strategy on Disability; and


3. Continue working with national and state governments and women’s groups to remove the reservations to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.