This quarter has seen more complaints lodged with the Commission than during the same period in 2006. This illustrates that public confidence in the work of the Commission, and its outcomes-oriented strategic policy, is increasing as more people become aware of the high professional standards maintained by the Commission in spite of its serious budget and human resources shortfall since the ending of the 3-year European Union donor support.

The Commission is currently concentrating on its complaints and legal work, as these are areas which require particular attention. The Education and Publications work is proceeding steadily with a new video just completed and awaiting a suitable time and place to be launched. The video is called 'Sinking Rights' and was made in collaboration with the Tuvalu Government. The theme is climate change and sea level rise in the Pacific, wand concentrate on human rights problems potentially arising from the environmental crisis. We are grateful to the Prime Minister and senior officials of Tuvalu for their cooperation in the making of this video.

The revised Strategic Plan of the Commission concentrates on its core functions. Each section of the Commission has outlined its own strategic direction and is engaged in assessing previous plans from an outcomes and outputs-based perspective. This is a helpful review exercise and will form the basis of Commission-wide review in future strategic plans 2008-2010.

The Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission, Ombudsman Mr Rodney Acraman, has provided the staff of the Commission with useful operational directions and a clear set of goals from an overall policy perspective. This was what the Commission needed during the crisis period. The advice given by the Chairperson was practical, encouraging, optimistic and sincere. In the long run, the Commission will benefit from his excellent advice and foresight. We are grateful to Mr Acraman for facilitating an environment which allowed the Commission, in the public interest, to overcome narrow political and neo-colonial interests after the December 2006 events.

The staff, as usual, were loyal to the Commission's vision and mission. I am grateful to them for their hard work and unremitting faith in the functions of the Commission

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