| IWRAW Asia Pacific (2865 words) |
 | In introducing the report, the representative of Fiji stated that her country believed in the spirit and the goals of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, was committed to human rights and took its obligation to implement the Convention seriously. |
 | Fiji was proud to be the first Pacific Island State to report to the Committee, and before submitting the initial report in early 2000, had withdrawn its reservation to article 5 (a) of the Convention. |
 | The representative informed the Committee that the isolation of Fiji and her Pacific Island neighbours from the rest of the world made the country susceptible to global economic forces and, consequently, spor adic political upheavals, and the country's goals and priorities were affected by social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities. |