The United Kingdom signed a 1.8 million Sterling pounds grant agreement with the Pacific Community SPC on 13 July to improve the capacity of nine Pacific Commonwealth countries deliver on their human rights.

The project, the Pacific Commonwealth Equality Project will be implemented by the SPC’s Regional Rights Resource team (RRRT) in collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat, the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission, the Commonwealth Parliamentary association, and national human rights institutions across the Commonwealth.

The two year project “18-20 Commonwealth Fund” started on 19 April for nine Pacific Commonwealth countries: Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

The three core components include:

• to support emerging national human rights institutions through cross-Pacific and cross-commonwealth learning and exchange.
• Provide technical support to Pacific states to develop National Human Rights action plans to meet their human rights and gender equality commitments
• Create platforms for members of Parliament and civil society leaders across the Pacific to champion and advance human rights.

The Deputy Director-General of the SPC, Dr Audrey Aumua highlighted the significance of the agreement to the Pacific, “I feel that we are nearing a turning point in achieving our common goal of a Pacific future based on a foundation of respect and equally for all.”

The Commonwealth Equality Project came seven months after Tonga made its 3^rd presentation of its human rights record to be examined by the UN human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review Working group in Geneva Switzerland on 15 January.

Among the 45 foreign government that review Tonga’s human rights record, which was delivered by the Solicitor General  Sione Sisifa, were  China, Australia, New Zealand, USA, UK, Canada, France, Indonesia, Cuba, Italy, India and South Korea.

Most of the recommendations called on the Tongan Government to ratify core conventions such as CEDAW, the convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women; CAT, the Convention against torture; ICCPR, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

There were also calls on Tonga to amend its laws that discriminate against LGBT citizens, lesbian gay bisexual and transsexuals; to abolish the death penalty; and to establish a Human Rights Institution.

‘Onetoto ‘Anisi,  the CEO for Tonga’s Ministry of Internal Afairs told Matangi Tonga that Human Rights issues in Tonga go through the Prime Minister’s Office; while his ministry’s deals with only women's and youth issues.