Office of the Ombudsman, Samoa‘s National Human Rights Institution Submission to the Committee on the Rights of the Child – September 2015 Samoan Government amend and present the Bill at the first session of Parliament after the next election in March 2016. 5 Data collection 19. The NHRI commends the government for the work it has begun in developing a comprehensive system of collecting disaggregated data for the purposes of human rights monitoring, including under the Convention. However, much more work needs to be done in this area. The NHRI encountered a lack of meaningful disaggregated data on the issue of incest and sexual abuse with regards to children when preparing its SHRR. The data made available by the Domestic Violence Unit (DVU) within the Ministry of Police was scant and insufficiently disaggregated. The NHRI had to rely on caseload data from the Non-Governmental Organisation (NG0), Samoa Victim Support Group (SVSG), relying on case files relating to victims of sexual abuse and incest. 20. The lack of information and statistical data regarding the high prevalence of violence and its nature, extent and causes is a major concern and contributes to lack of enforcement of child‘s rights in Samoa. It was particularly disconcerting that the data made available by the DVU was scant and insufficiently disaggregated. A government cannot claim to be dedicated to ending violence if its own police force does not take seriously the collection of statistical data on domestic and sexual violence disaggregated by sex, age, nationality and relationship between the victim and perpetrator. In its report, the SLRC also makes recommendations that institutions dealing with reports of violence against children need to record and report disaggregated data in relation to reports received and actions taken.9 Recommendation 3: That the Samoan Government ensures the Domestic Violence Unit (DVU) (and all institutions dealing with reports of violence against children) regularly collects statistical data on domestic and sexual violence disaggregated by sex, age, region (urban/rural), and relationship between victim and perpetrator. 6 General principles 6.1 Non-discrimination and best interests of the child 21. Since the Committee‘s last Concluding Observations on Samoa, the government undertook a number of reforms to ensure that the child‘s welfare is protected and that measures and laws implemented in Samoa are in line with principles of the Convention. In November 2008, the SLRC received a reference from Cabinet on the Care and Protection (Protection of Children) project (the Project). The Project commenced in February 2009 as an inhouse Project focussing on: 9 Samoa Law Reform Commission Final Report ‗Child Care and Protection Legislation, February 2013, pg 26. 9