The Republic of Vanuatu is a parliamentary democracy with a population of approximately 326.000.[1] The Constitution of Vanuatu is supreme law and sets out the legal framework which deals with the respect of human rights.[2]
Generally, the Government respects the human rights of its citizens however a number of issues have arisen relating to the rights of women, conditions in prisons, government corruption and access to education. In 2009 the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) carried out Vanuatu's Universal Periodic Review (UPR). The review identified a number of the above concerns and made recommendations to Vanuatu as to how to address its human rights issues.