ABA ROLI Launches a Program in Papua New Guinea

November 2011

On October 1, the ABA Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) launched a new program in Papua New Guinea that will work to prevent violence against women and human rights abuses associated with extractive industries. The human rights-focused program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, will train judges and lawyers and build awareness within local communities of legal services, remedies and resources.

ABA ROLI will partner with a local organization to develop a methodology that assesses corporate compliance with national and international human rights standards. ABA ROLI-trained lawyers will pilot the assessment in a single community. Additionally, the lawyers will educate citizens on their rights and on both judicial and non-judicial mechanisms to defend and secure them. These combined efforts will provide both grassroots-level legal education and produce much-needed documentation to inform future legal advocacy activities and to better link communities to legal services. ABA ROLI will also host a series of meetings that bring together judicial and government stakeholders to strengthen their ability to enforce laws and policies that secure the protection of legal rights.

To learn more about our work in Papua New Guinea, contact the ABA Rule of Law Initiative at [email protected].