U.S. Department of State Country Report on Human Rights Practices 1997 - Tuvalu
Publisher | United States Department of State |
Publication Date | 30 January 1998 |
Cite as | United States Department of State, U.S. Department of State Country Report on Human Rights Practices 1997 - Tuvalu, 30 January 1998, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aa1a20.html [accessed 22 May 2023] |
Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, January 30, 1998.
TUVALU
Tuvalu, with about 10,000 primarily Polynesian people, occupies a land area of 26 square kilometers on 9 atolls in the central South Pacific. It became independent from the United Kingdom in 1978 and is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Its Constitution provides for a Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. Tuvalu's Head of State is the British Queen, represented by the Governor General who must be a Tuvaluan citizen. The judiciary is independent. A 32-member police constabulary, the only security force, is responsible to and effectively controlled by civilian authority. The primarily subsistence economy relies mainly on coconuts, taro, and fishing. Tuvalu depends heavily on foreign aid, mainly from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Taiwan. Remittances from Tuvaluans working abroad as well as the sale of postage stamps and of fishing licenses to foreign vessels provide additional foreign exchange. Tuvalu's isolation and meager natural resources limit the prospects for economic development. Tuvaluan society is egalitarian, democratic, and respectful of human rights. Social behavior, as determined by custom and tradition, however, is considered as important as the law and is ensured by village elders. There were no reports of specific human rights abuses. However, in the traditional culture of the islands, women occupy a subordinate role, with limits on their job opportunities, although recently there has been a substantial effort to accord women equality in employment and decisionmaking.