The state of civic space in Vanuatu is rated as ‘narrowed’. Among ongoing concerns are the criminalisation of freedom of expression online under the Cybercrime Act No. 22 of 2021, as well as criminal defamation provisions in the country’s Penal Code Act that could be used to silence the media and critics.
Jotham Napat was elected as prime minister by 50 of the 52 members of parliament after his Leaders Party of Vanuatu won nine seats in January 2024 elections - more than any other party. The general election date was postponed for two days after a 7.3-magnitude earthquake hit Vanuatu in December 2024, killing 14 people, rupturing roads and flattening buildings in the capital Port Vila.
Only one woman secured a seat in parliament. Marie Louis Paulette Milne, one of only seven women among 216 election candidates, is the sole MP for the Green Confederation Party.
From 27th November to 5th December 2024, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change visited Vanuatu and called, among other things, for the creation of an independent National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) that can receive complaints and concerns from communities and contribute to raising understanding and knowledge of human rights.
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Government to develop policy to ban LGBTQIA+ advocacy
In November 2024, Vanuatu’s Ministry of Justice and Community Services (MoJCS) said it will appoint a new committee to draft a National Policy banning all LGBTQIA+ advocacy and promotion in Vanuatu.
National Human Rights Coordinator, Albert Nalpini, said this decision aligns with the Council of Ministers (COM) 9th Ordinary meeting, earlier in 2024. Nalpini confirmed that over ten members will be appointed to the committee, representing the MoJCS, the Malvatumauri Council of Chiefs, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Vanuatu Christian Council (VCC), the Vanuatu National Council of Women (VNCW), the Youth Council, and other key representatives.
He confirmed the committee has a six-month timeframe to complete the National Policy, which may be extended depending on how quickly they develop their work plan.
The National Human Rights Coordinator added that they are also working to ensure no advocacy, funding or activities related to LGBTQIA+ take place.
UN Special Rapporteur Elisa Morgera has called Vanuatu’s draft policy on banning local LGBTQ promotion and activities as discriminatory and a violation of international human rights obligations. Such policies, she warned, would exacerbate the marginalisation of LGBTQ individuals in climate-related emergencies.
In the same month, Vanuatu's parliament passed an amendment to its Marriage Act to ban same-sex marriages.
Teachers’ strike continues around payment of outstanding entitlements
More than 600 striking teachers in Vanuatu are still off work since mid-2024, as they campaign for the payment of outstanding entitlements. Vanuatu's new government had said that ending the strike was one of its main priorities.
The strike resulted in the suspension of over 600 teachers by the Teaching Service Commission (TSC). Some of the suspended teachers have been terminated, while others have been reinstated. A case to determine the legality of the strike is currently before the courts.
As previously documented, in June 2024, members of the Vanuatu Teachers Union (VTU) went on strike. More than 1,000 teachers, mostly from public schools, walked off their jobs. The teachers were demanding that their budget be managed by the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) as their employer, rather than being controlled by the Director General (DG) of the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET).
On 19th June 2024, the strike was called off after an agreement was reached with the government. Jonathan Yona said the agreement required the government to come up with a plan on how it will pay entitlements. In August 2024, the VTU recalled the industrial action after negotiations failed to resolve the dispute.