Urgent Appeal to UN Pacific Ambassadors - Fiji Coup d'état
7 December 2006
Dear Ambassador,
The NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security, a coalition of NGOs working for the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1325, expresses its alarm at the December 5th coup d'état in Fiji.
As a leader in the Pacific Region, we urge you to ensure that the concerns and recommendations of Fiji's civil society, especially women and women's groups, are included in attempts to diffuse this crisis and to restore democratic processes.
Women and women's groups in Fiji and in the Pacific Island Region have played an active, vital role in the building and maintenance of peace, democracy and human rights. Their experiences and resources must be urgently called upon and utilized, as called for in Security Council resolution 1325, which recognizes "the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peace-building, and…the importance of their equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security."
The NGO Working Group joins Fiji women's NGOs and civil society in urgently calling on decision-makers to:
- Insist that the rule of law, lawful democratic processes and institutions and the constitution be respected, including a demand for an immediate end to the military coup d'état and a return to legitimate rule;
- Establish a binding Commission of Truth, Justice and Resolution in Fiji under the Commission of Inquiry Act, with powers to obtain all relevant evidence;
- Call for a peaceful reconciliation of differences within the constitutional framework, exploring all domestic and democratic means of resolving the conflict;
- Request the United Nations, Member States and the Secretary-General to support national and regional efforts to overcome the crisis through dialogue;
Attached to this letter are the names and contact details of civil society leaders in Fiji with extensive peacebuilding experience. We encourage decision-makers to consult with these leaders in order to effectively resolve the current crisis and to prevent any further escalation of conflict.
Sincerely yours,
Gina Torry, Coordinator
Signed Members of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security
Boston Consortium on Gender, Security and Human Rights
Hague Appeal for Peace
Femmes Africa Solidarité
United Methodists Women's Division
International Women's Tribune Centre
Women's Action for New Directions
Women's Environment and Development Organization Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
List of Recommended Women Peacebuilders and NGOs in Fiji
Catholic Women's League Fiji - World Union of Catholic
Ms. Susana Evening (MOF)
Women's League International Board member and member
of Soqosoqo Vakamarama I Taukei (indigenous women's network)
Email: susanaevening@connect.com.fj
FemLinkPacific
Sharon Bhagwan Rolls, Coordinator
femLINKpacific: Media Initiatives for Women
Phone/Fax (679) 3307207
CMC Located: Suite 4, G B Hari Building
14 Pier Street, Suva, Fiji Islands
Email: femlinkpac@connect.com.fj
Fiji Women's Crisis Centre
Shamima Ali, Coordinator
88 Gordon Street,
PO Box 12882, Suva, Fiji
Tel: (679) 3313 300 Fax: (679) 3313 650
Email: fwcc@connect.com.fj
Fiji Women's Rights Movement
Virisila Buadromo, Coordinator
Postal Address: GPO Box 14194 Suva, Fiji
Phone: (679) 313-156
Fax: (679) 313-466
Email: fwrm@is.com.fj or fwrm@rrrt.org.fj
Pacific Centre for Public Integrity (PCPI)
Suliana Siwatibau, Chairperson
Suva, Fiji
pcpi@connect.com.fj
Member Organizations
© 2008 NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security