Enforcing Rights and Correcting Wrongs - Asia-Pacific Regional ...
Enforcing Rights and Correcting Wrongs - Asia-Pacific Regional ...
Enforcing Rights and Correcting Wrongs - Asia-Pacific Regional ...
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
HDI<br />
Rank<br />
Annex<br />
Countries* Constitution Constitutional Provision on Religion<br />
<strong>Pacific</strong><br />
2 Australia Commonwealth of Australia<br />
Constitution Act 1900<br />
No constitutional provision on religion exists.<br />
5 New Zeal<strong>and</strong> Constitution Act 1986 No constitutional provision on religion exists.<br />
49 Palau The Constitution of the<br />
Republic of Palau 1979<br />
90 Tonga The Act of Constitution of<br />
Tonga 1988<br />
99 Samoa Constitution of the<br />
Independent State of Samoa<br />
1960<br />
100 Fiji Constitution Amendment Act<br />
1997<br />
116 Micronesia<br />
(Federated<br />
States of )<br />
Constitution of the Federated<br />
States of Micronesia 1978<br />
122 Kiribati The Constitution of Kiribati<br />
1979<br />
125 Vanuatu Constitution of the Republic of<br />
Vanuatu 1980<br />
142 Solomon Isl<strong>and</strong>s The Constitution of Solomon<br />
Isl<strong>and</strong>s 1978<br />
153 Papua New Guinea Constitution of the<br />
Independent State of Papua<br />
New Guinea 1975<br />
The Preamble states “in establishing this<br />
Constitution of the sovereign Republic of<br />
Palau, We venture into the future with full<br />
reliance on our own efforts <strong>and</strong> the divine<br />
guidance of Almighty God”.<br />
Section 6 stipulates “the Sabbath Day shall<br />
be kept holy in Tonga <strong>and</strong> no person shall<br />
practise his trade or profession or conduct any<br />
commercial undertaking on the Sabbath Day<br />
except according to law”.<br />
The Preamble states “whereas the Leaders of<br />
Samoa have declared that Samoa should be<br />
an Independent State based on Christian<br />
principles <strong>and</strong> Samoan custom <strong>and</strong> tradition”.<br />
The Preamble states “we, the people of Fiji<br />
Isl<strong>and</strong>s, recall the conversion of the indigenous<br />
inhabitants of these isl<strong>and</strong>s from heathenism<br />
to Christianity through the power of the name<br />
of Jesus Christ; the enduring influence of<br />
Christianity in these isl<strong>and</strong>s”.<br />
No constitutional provision on religion exists.<br />
The Preamble states “we the people of Kiribati,<br />
acknowledging God as the Almighty Father in<br />
whom we put our trust, <strong>and</strong> with faith in the<br />
enduring value of our traditions <strong>and</strong> heritage”.<br />
The Preamble states ‘we the people of<br />
Vanuatu…hereby proclaim the establishment<br />
of the united <strong>and</strong> free Republic of Vanuatu<br />
founded on traditional Melanesian values, faith<br />
in God, <strong>and</strong> Christian principles..’<br />
No constitutional provision on religion exists.<br />
The Preamble states “we, the people of Papua<br />
New Guinea, pledge ourselves to guard <strong>and</strong><br />
pass on to those who come after us our noble<br />
traditions <strong>and</strong> the Christian principles that are<br />
ours now”.<br />
33