A/HRC/14/8 society groups focusing on electoral reform, the size of the new parliament, the sustainability of a bicameral system, the term of office of the Government and systems for ensuring governmental accountability to the people. Fiji’s new constitution will be in place by September 2013. The people will have a year in which to become familiar with its provisions before elections are held in September 2014. The Government intended to commence shortly an inclusive national dialogue process aimed at achieving a sustainable return to democracy and constitutional rule. 10. Fiji urged the international community and requested United Nations Member States to support it in its endeavour to fulfil the Road Map. Fiji noted that the time frame provided not only certainty in terms of a deadline for elections, but also an opportunity for Fiji to address the underlying issues that had led it down the path of political instability. 11. With respect to public emergency decrees, Fiji emphasized that every person had the right to freedom of speech and expression, including the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas and freedom of the press and other media. However, the Public Emergency Regulation 2009 had placed certain limits on those rights in the interest of national security, public safety and public order. 12. Fiji stated that media had not been responsible and balanced in their coverage and had contributed to a confrontational environment. Following the abrogation of the 1997 Constitution, there emerged a need for preventive measures that addressed security concerns that had threatened the nation. Those measures had materialized in the 2009 Public Emergency Regulation. Fiji noted that, since the implementation of the censorship exercise, there had been a marked shift from negative to positive journalism. The Government was currently drafting a media law that would ensure that responsible journalism was practiced, as well as a Freedom of Information Decree that would guarantee public access to Government documents. 13. Fiji emphasized the non-permanent nature of the Public Emergency Regulation and the fact that its extension had come into effect after a careful assessment by the authority concerned. The Government announced that the Public Emergency Regulation would be lifted after the promulgation of the Media Decree. 14. Fiji indicated that, with the abrogation of the 1997 Constitution, all constitutional offices in Fiji, including the Fiji Human Rights Commission, had been abolished. On 12 May 2009, the President had issued Human Rights Commission Decree 2009, which repealed the Human Rights Act 1999. The Decree established the Fiji Human Rights Commission, set out the eligibility criteria for the appointment of commissioners and provided for the functions of the Commission. The Commission has the power to, inter alia, increase general awareness of human rights by making public statements and educating the public and public officials, receive representations from the public on any matter affecting human rights, inquire generally into any procedure or practice, whether governmental or non-governmental, and to make recommendations to the Government concerning legislative, administrative or other action. 15. Fiji noted that the promulgation of the Fiji Human Rights Decree 2009 had demonstrated the Government’s commitment to complying with the Paris Principles. The Government was actively pursuing the identification of individuals to serve as members of the Fiji Human Rights Commission. 16. Fiji indicated that, within the first 10 months following the abrogation of the Constitution, the Government had already promulgated 64 decrees, all of which formed basic laws under the new legal order. The Crime Decree 2009 had brought Fiji into conformity with the Rome Statute, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. 4