BY INDY MAEALASIA
THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade (MFAET) says it is working towards carrying out consultations for the country to ratify the UN Convention Against Torture (CAT), which bans all forms of inhuman and degrading treatment.
Foreign Affairs Minister, Peter Shanel Agovaka said the above in Parliament on Monday, August 4, 2025 in response to a question from East Are’are MP Peter Kenilorea Jr, who raised concerns over the long delay in ratifying the treaty.
“We will work on it to get all consultation done, and preparation done and we can proceed on to ratify, against torture,” Agovaka said.
Kenilorea Jr welcomed the update and urges the government to treat the ratification as a matter of priority.
“In terms of the Convention Against Torture, I think it’s clear that we can ratify it. Our own Constitution prohibits torture and inhumane treatment of our people,” he said.
He added that the move would reflects positively on Solomon Islands’ international human rights reporting.
“Now that I see progress is ongoing, this is a good look for the country,” he said, noting that the Parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee is ready to assist where needed.
The CAT is the key international human rights treaty that specifically addresses torture. It obligates states that ratify it to prohibit, prevent, and penalise acts of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment in all circumstances.
The Convention was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1984 and came into force in 1987. As of April 2006, 141 countries have ratified the treaty.
Attorney General John Muria Jr confirmed that Solomon Islands has already ratified five core United Nations human rights conventions, including:
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, The Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
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