Call to work together in the fight against drugs

ATTORNEY-GENERAL Siromi Turaga has appealed to traditional leaders, community leaders and interfaith-based organisations to join the Government’s efforts in the war against drugs for the sake of our children.

He made the plea while opening the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission Western Regional office in Lautoka yesterday.

Mr Turaga said the recent unveiling of one of the country’s biggest drug seizures ever, was an indication of the magnitude of the drug problem and how it affected many families and our children.

“Drugs and substance abuse lead to violation of a child’s rights,” Mr Turaga said.

“The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) stands alone among the core UN human rights treaties in setting out a human right to protection from drugs.

“In particular, Article 33 of the CRC that states ‘parties shall take all appropriate measures, including legislative, administrative, social and educational measures, to protect children from the illicit use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances as defined in the relevant international treaties and to prevent the use of children in the illicit production and trafficking of such substances.”

Mr Turaga also called on key stakeholders and community leaders to assist the Government in identifying the most vulnerable who may be experiencing human rights violations in their localities and report such violations to the right agency so help can be afforded to the victims and the perpetrators brought to justice.

He also highlighted that another critical area of concern was climate change and its impact on human life.

“In Fiji and the Pacific at large, climate change is threatening the health of our people, as well as our economic and social development,” he said.

“Extreme weather events, especially cyclones and floods, are displacing communities, causing injuries and psychological trauma and increasing the risks of infection and malnutrition.

“I am informed that the commission had engaged in a public consultation last year, scoping study across eight of Fiji’s 14 provinces, visiting 27 villages and interviewing 185 residents.”

Mr Turaga said this study provided valuable insights into the pressing challenges faced by these communities in the context of climate change and its impact on their human rights.