Dignity and Respect in Health & Development

Coordinator – Laitia Tamata

Laitia has been a human rights defender, advocate and trainer in the Pacific Islands since 2000 having served terms with the University of the South Pacific (USP), UNICEF Pacific, Legal Aids Commission, the Office of the Prime Minister in Fiji, the Pacific Islands AIDS Foundation and the Pacific Islands Association of Non-Government Organisations (PIANGO). He started coordinating the establishment of Dignity Pasifika with some volunteers from December 2012. At the same time, Laitia is the Legal Counsel to the PIANGO Board. He also did consultancy work for PIANGO conducting a Shadow PIFS Pacific Plan Review, Identifying National Experts, National Liaison Units (NLU) & Civil Society Organization (CSO) Needs Analysis, Assessing the Policy Engagement Capacity of CSOs, Assessing the Enabling environment conditions, Facilitating the PIANGO Communications Survey and Assessing preparedness for developing a Regional CSO Code. Laitia also serves as Legal Adviser for organizations like Psychiatric Survivors Association (PSA), Fiji Association of Social Workers, Sexual Advocacy Network (SAN), and People Living with the Disease (TB). He serves at a Trustee with MEN Fiji and the Fiji Locally Managed Marine Area (FLMMA) and for Partners in Community Development Fiji (PCDF), Fiji Environmental Lawyers Association (FELA) and the Dialogue Fiji (DF) Board

He was the Legal Trainer and Policy Analyst at PIAF from 2009 – 2012. His duties included facilitating HIV and human rights training and legal and policy consultations. He also provided HIV related legal services to the Key Affected Populations (KAP). As a Policy Analyst, he conducts reviews and analysis of national HIV laws and policies to ensure that they are compliant with the Regional HIV response and international human rights instruments. He also conducts national HIV specific workplace policy formulation training. During his term as legal trainer and policy analyst, Laitia was able to contribute to the drafting of the HIV stand-alone ‘evidence informed’ human rights based legislation in the Pacific Islands

Laitia has a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from USP, a Post Graduate Certificate in Constitutional Law from the Victoria University of Wellington (VUW) NZ, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from USP. Laitia is currently completing a Masters in Law at USP on the unit on international environment law. His interests include community development work, rugby and basketball.

Contact Details:
Email: dignity.pasifika@unwired.com.fj or ltamata@gmail.com
Phone: (+679) 3300686 Vodafone 8311269 or Digicell 7468031
http://www.dignity.pasifik.org Skype: laitia.tamata.snr