25 Pacific human rights and climate change advocates were welcomed by Fiji’s Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, Madam Lenora Qereqeretabua, who delivered the opening keynote at the Pacific regional program on Human Rights Climate Change and Business, held in Suva from June 23-27.
The program, organised in partnership with the UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Pacific Islands Association of NGOs, and Fiji Council of Social Services, brought together 25 participants from seven Pacific Island countries - Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu - to deepen knowledge of the connections between human rights, climate change and business - and the accountability and remedy mechanisms available to communities negatively impacted.
Trainers included Professor Surya Deva, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to development, Dr Wesley Morgan, UNSW Institute for Climate Risk and Response, Lani Inverarity, Accountability Counsel and Joshua Cooper, Hawai’i Institute for Human Rights. The Australian High Commissioner to Fiji, Peter Roberts, hosted an afternoon tea for the participants and partners.
The program was held in the lead up to significant legal judgements on climate change and human rights from the Australian High Court, Inter-American Court and International Court of Justice – and the next Climate COP in Brazil.
DTP would like to acknowledge the support from the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) for this training.
