Office of the Ombudsman, Samoa‘s National Human Rights Institution Submission to the Committee on the Rights of the Child – September 2015 three factors contributing to the lack of understanding of the true meaning of children‘s rights in Samoa. 1. Some Samoans believe human rights give children the freedom to misbehave and disobey their parents. This may be as a result of the translation of the term ‗human rights discussed above; 2. The traditional status of a Samoan child within the family is that the child must obey and do as s/he is told by their parents without further discussion; 3. Children themselves are confused about what is meant by human rights. Some children believe human rights give them the right to do what they want without any limitations. This attitude reinforces concerns raised by parents who blame human rights for their children misbehaving. 15. Ultimately, there needs to be continued education on human rights in Samoa, including the relationship between fa’asamoa and international human rights. The SHRR was an initial step in addressing this issue. The NHRI will endeavour to implement its human rights education and outreach mandate so that all Samoans are aware of the true nature of human rights and are able to adequately access and enforce their rights as human rights holders. 16. However, the NHRI believes that the government needs to assist the NHRI more in tacking the misconceptions that exist in Samoa regarding human rights, including children‘s rights. This assistance could be in the form of awareness campaigns run by government ministries, such as the Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development, in conjunction with the NHRI which seeks to inform Samoans, especially rural communities, about basic human rights principles, including those under the Convention. Recommendation 1: The NHRI reaffirms the Committee’s recommendation from its 2006 Concluding Observations. That the Samoan Government continues to strengthen its efforts to ensure that the provision and principles of the Convention are widely recognised and understood by adults and children alike. In this regard, it encourages the Government to continue to disseminate and raise awareness of the Convention among children, their parents and other caregivers and all relevant professional groups working with and for children. The Committee also invites the State party to engage with community leaders, including church leaders, in discussion on children’s rights in the context of Samoan culture, with a view to bringing about further changes in the attitudes and behaviour of these key opinion leaders in society 4 17. Definition of the child Inconsistencies exist within Samoan legislation regarding the definition of the child and which are inconsistent with Article 1 of the Convention. In February 2013, the SLRC issued its final report on the Child Care and Protection 7