leadership and churches, as they relate to human rights, traditional values, and Christian principles. Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu, Santo. In concert with community leaders, churches serve as a traditional safety net and source of social cohesion. it to meet its obligations under human rights treaties. Vanuatu is currently participating in the 3rd cycle Universal Periodic Review (UPR) under the auspices of the UN Human Rights Council. Vanuatu compares relatively well against many countries in its observance of human rights, although there are still some vulnerable areas. These include gender violence and the rights of women more generally, and various abuses by police or other officials, despite efforts by the government to prosecute and punish such behaviour. The rights of people with disabilities also need strengthening. Establishment of a fully functioning Human Rights Commission would be a valuable step forward. In addition, an eminent persons group has been proposed to develop a policy delineating the roles of the state, traditional The media and civil society have important roles to play in educating the community and policy makers on issues of concern, maintaining policy scrutiny, and promoting responsible and responsive government. Vanuatu ranks relatively highly in terms of press freedom and freedom of expression more generally, which is enshrined in the Constitution. Image: Vanuatu Daily Post In October 2018 Vanuatu established the National International Humanitarian Law Committee (NIHLC), which will strengthen Vanuatu’s observance of various international undertakings, and promote awareness of human rights and humanitarian law in the country. 37