FIJI HUMAN RIGHTS & ANTI-DISCRIMINATION COMMISSION ANNUAL REPORT 2018 4 Our Responsibilities Section 45 (4) of the Fijian Constitution bestows the Commission with the following responsibilities: (a) promoting the protection and observance of, and respect for, human rights in public and private institutions, and to develop a culture of human rights in Fiji; (b) education about the rights and freedoms recognised in the bill of rights of the Constitution as well as other internationally recognised rights and freedoms; (c) monitoring, investigating and reporting on the observance of human rights in all spheres of life; (d) making recommendations to Government concerning matters affecting the rights and freedoms recognised in the bill of rights including recommendations concerning existing or proposed laws; (e) receiving and investigating complaints about alleged abuses of human rights and take steps to secure appropriate redress if human rights have been violated, including making applications to court for redress or for other forms of relief or remedies; (f ) investigating or researching, on its own initiative or on the basis of a complaint, any matter in respect of human rights, and make recommendations to improve the functioning of public or private entities; (g) monitoring compliance by the State with obligations under treaties and conventions relating to human rights; and (h) performing any other functions or exercising any powers as are conferred on the Commission by a written law. Section 12 (1) of the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission Act further prescribes the following powers and duties of the Commission: (a) to increase general awareness of human rights, including by making public statements and educating public opinion and public officials, coordinating human rights programs and acting as a source of human rights information; (b) to invite and receive representations from members of the public on any matter affecting human rights; (c) to consult and co-operate with other persons and bodies concerned with the promotion and protection of human rights; (d) to inquire generally into any procedure or practice whether governmental or nongovernmental, if it appears to the Commission that human rights are, or may be, infringed thereby; (e) to make recommendations to the Government on the desirability of legislative, administrative or other action so as to give better protection to human rights; (f ) to promote better compliance in Fiji with standards laid down in international instruments on human rights; (g) to encourage the ratification of international human rights instruments by the State and, where appropriate, to recommend the withdrawal of reservations entered to those instruments; (h) to advise the Government on its reporting obligations under international human rights instruments and, without derogating from the primacy of the Government's responsibility for preparing those reports, to advise on the content of the reports; (i) to make recommendations on the implications of any proposed law or any proposed policy of the Government that may affect human rights; (j) to investigate allegations of contraventions of human rights and allegations of unfair discrimination, of its own motion or on complaint by individuals, groups or institutions on their