Pacific Islands Human Rights Consultation
Pacific Island human rights ‘issues and prospects’ were discussed at an APF consultation hosted by the Fiji Human Rights Commission in Suva on 1-3 June 2004.
The aim of the consultation was to strengthen working relations among civil society in the Pacific and provide participants with an improved understanding of the work of the United Nations, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the APF. It is expected that the consultation will lead to a sustained dialogue between the participants and the regional and international agencies.
Participants at the consultation included representatives of Pacific Island governments, national human rights institutions, non-government organisations and international and inter-governmental organisations including the United Nations, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Pacific Islands Forum.
The consultation identified national and regional human rights issues, examined how the Pacific human rights agenda is responding to regional and global political, economic and social developments and identified how regional and international agencies should respond to these challenges.
The consultation was coordinated by the APF and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Financial support for the consultation was also received from the Commonwealth Secretariat, the United Nations Development Program and the Government of New Zealand.
