Vocea addresses EU

All citizens of the Republic of Fiji can now confidently call themselves Fijians.

These were the words of Fiji’s ambassador to the European Union Peceli Vocea in his key address on Fiji’s periodic reports at the 81st session of committee on the elimination of racial discrimination in Geneva, Switzerland, earlier this week.

Vocea in his concluding remarks reiterated Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama’s statement at the High Level Meeting of the UN General Assembly to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action in September 2011, when he stated that the Fijian Government has “an unwavering commitment towards the achievement of the objectives of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Durban Declaration”.

The Committee was pleased to hear of the remarkable progress undertaken in implementing the International Convention on all forms of Racial Discrimination since it reviewed Fiji’s last report in February 2008.

The Committee was also briefed on the current constitutional process and the timelines set out by Government as well as the improving relations between Australia New Zealand and Fiji.

The 18-member Committee will now deliberate on its Concluding Observations and Recommendations which will be communicated to the Fijian Government for consideration.


Story by: Sofaia Koroitanoa