Enforcing Rights and Correcting Wrongs - Asia-Pacific Regional ...

HDI
Rank
Annex
Countries* Constitution Constitutional Provision on Religion
Pacific
2 Australia Commonwealth of Australia
Constitution Act 1900
No constitutional provision on religion exists.
5 New Zealand Constitution Act 1986 No constitutional provision on religion exists.
49 Palau The Constitution of the
Republic of Palau 1979
90 Tonga The Act of Constitution of
Tonga 1988
99 Samoa Constitution of the
Independent State of Samoa
1960
100 Fiji Constitution Amendment Act
1997
116 Micronesia
(Federated
States of )
Constitution of the Federated
States of Micronesia 1978
122 Kiribati The Constitution of Kiribati
1979
125 Vanuatu Constitution of the Republic of
Vanuatu 1980
142 Solomon Islands The Constitution of Solomon
Islands 1978
153 Papua New Guinea Constitution of the
Independent State of Papua
New Guinea 1975
The Preamble states “in establishing this
Constitution of the sovereign Republic of
Palau, We venture into the future with full
reliance on our own efforts and the divine
guidance of Almighty God”.
Section 6 stipulates “the Sabbath Day shall
be kept holy in Tonga and no person shall
practise his trade or profession or conduct any
commercial undertaking on the Sabbath Day
except according to law”.
The Preamble states “whereas the Leaders of
Samoa have declared that Samoa should be
an Independent State based on Christian
principles and Samoan custom and tradition”.
The Preamble states “we, the people of Fiji
Islands, recall the conversion of the indigenous
inhabitants of these islands from heathenism
to Christianity through the power of the name
of Jesus Christ; the enduring influence of
Christianity in these islands”.
No constitutional provision on religion exists.
The Preamble states “we the people of Kiribati,
acknowledging God as the Almighty Father in
whom we put our trust, and with faith in the
enduring value of our traditions and heritage”.
The Preamble states ‘we the people of
Vanuatu…hereby proclaim the establishment
of the united and free Republic of Vanuatu
founded on traditional Melanesian values, faith
in God, and Christian principles..’
No constitutional provision on religion exists.
The Preamble states “we, the people of Papua
New Guinea, pledge ourselves to guard and
pass on to those who come after us our noble
traditions and the Christian principles that are
ours now”.
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