UN General Assembly
1998

responsible to justice. We welcome the recent adoption at Rome of the statute of the International Criminal Court, and we express our gratitude to the Italian Government for hosting the conference at which this took place. Last but not least, my delegation wishes to inform the Assembly that a new Constitution of Fiji was 27 promulgated on 27 July 1998. Pursuant to the coming into force of the new Constitution, the name of our country has been changed to the Republic of the Fiji Islands. An innovative feature of the new Constitution is that it makes provision for the formation of a multi-party system of Government through representation in the Cabinet of all political parties that secure a certain number of seats in Parliament. The new Constitution also makes provision for the appointment of a Human Rights Commission and a Constitutional Offices Commission. The Government of the Republic of the Fiji Islands considers the promulgation of the new Constitution as laying the foundation for meaningful change in our multiracial country. General