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News from the Field: Constitution renewal raises awareness in Nauru

Considered as the world’s smallest independent republic, Nauru is an island of 21 square kilometers off of the Pacific Ocean with an estimated population of 13,770 inhabitants. It was first colonized by Germany and later became a League of Nations Trust Territory jointly administered by Britain, New Zealand and Australia. After the Second World War, Nauru was a United Nations Trust Territory and it finally gained its independence in 1968.

The Republic of Nauru is facing serious governance problems. The 2005 Nauru Sustainable Development Strategy (NSDS) has provided the blueprint for comprehensive economic, financial, public sector and political reforms. A critical aspect of this blueprint is constitutional reform to strengthen accountability institutions, mechanisms and address structural causes of political instability.

UNDEF is supporting a project entitled “Nauru Constitutional Review Project” executed by the UNDP Fiji Multi Country Office and implemented by the Nauruan Parliamentary Standing Committee on Constitutional Review (CRC). The project seeks to address the issues of instability and lack of accountability in Nauruan government and to facilitate the realization of the specific constitutional review objectives of NSDS.

The two-year project which commenced on May 2006 has achieved significant milestones in its early stages of implementation with the goal of creating a stable and sustainable future for the people of Nauru.

UNDP and CRC have achieved the following outcomes: (1) increased capacity of the public to participate in the process of constitutional renewal by producing discussion papers, communication materials like newsletters, television and radio announcements, school information kits and posters; (2) a detailed report on general consultations with the citizens of Nauru and other Civil Society Organizations (CSOs); and (3) recommendations and considerations for the amendment of the constitution.

The public consultation phase commenced in October 2006 with about 700 people participating in 40 meetings. The major output of this phase was the detailed Nauru Constitutional Review Report on Public Consultations which formed the basis of the Independent Review Commission. The consultation process for constitutional review ensures that the voice of all citizens in Nauru will be heard. Special efforts on the inclusion of women in the referendum process and longer term civic education programmes of the marginalized sector of society will be undertaken in the project.

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