KAS Australia took a delegation of Australian, New Zealand and German experts to Vanuatu to discuss current challenges to the rule of law and possible approaches to them. Topics of the one-day seminar included Vanuatu’s citizenship scheme (including its implications for its relations with the EU), human rights and immigration issues (including the deportation of Chinese nationals), the protection of traditional knowledge and expressions of culture legislation, the unconstitutionality of the foreign service amendment bill (a constitutional court case), and capacity development. The country’s bid for a Resolution from the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) calling for an Advisory Opinion on Climate Change from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) was also debated.
Further, the delegation had the opportunity to discuss current challenges to the rule of law and development with representatives from the New Zealand High Commission, the Vanuatu Australia Policing and Justice Programme (Palladium Group) (including access to and delivery of justice in remote areas), an independent journalist (about the status quo of the media), the Pacific Islands Legal Information Institute (PACLII), and other stakeholders.
