The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights – Regional Office for the Pacific (OHCHR-ROP) hosted a three day Regional Human Rights and Climate Change Conference focusing on climate justice, national human rights institutions, and migration in the context of climate change in the Pacific from 5-7 August 2019, in Nadi, Fiji
The conference amongst other things considered the negative impacts caused by climate change in the region. The Conference brought together around 50 participants including Government Officials from Pacific Island countries, representatives of civil society regional organisations, international and regional organisations and national human rights institution officials to share their knowledge and help Pacific countries explore ways to raise the visibility of climate change justice, business and human rights, migration, adaptation and resilience including specific sessions to address individual thematic human rights issues.
The three day conference included the following thematic sessions:
• Climate change in the Pacific – Resilience, adaptation and mitigation
• Introduction to Human Rights – The international Bill of Human Rights, and the International Human Rights Mechanisms
• How National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) can champion climate change
• NHRIs and Climate Justice – What roles can they play and how can we build effective partnerships
• Introduction to UN Guiding Principles and linkages with SDGs
• Business responsibility for Climate Change
• Climate induced migration – identifying the issues, developments and key themes
• Ensuring the dignity, safety, and human rights of migrants are protected in the context of climate change
• Ensuring access to justice for those affected by climate change
Of particular interest to Senior Investigation Officer Nootai was these session facilitated by Roberto Cadiz, Human Rights Commissioner of the Philippines. The office is conscious that climate change migration is an inevitability and will take this into account in its strategic direction.
