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Human rights

Pacific Civil Society Urges Forum Leaders to Prioritize Human Rights and Civic Space

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Pacific civil society organizations are calling on Forum Leaders to reaffirm their commitment to people-centred, rights-based, and inclusive regionalism. A briefing paper by the Pacific Regional Non-Governmental Organisations (PRNGOs) Alliance emphasizes the importance of defending civic space, prioritizing human rights, and putting people over extractive growth and geopolitics. The Alliance sets out four urgent asks for Leaders to consider: renewing the PIFS-civil society engagement mechanism, adopting a Pacific Civil Society Protection Declaration, establishing a standard human rights agenda, and reorienting the 2050 Strategy implementation pathway.

Key Takeaways:

  • The PRNGOs Alliance is calling on Forum Leaders to reaffirm the protection of civic space as a matter of regional principle and leadership.
  • The Alliance highlights the systematic exclusion of civil society organizations from regional decision-making, despite their significant role in shaping Pacific regionalism.
  • The briefing paper warns that democratic accountability is being eroded in parts of the region, with governments tightening restrictions on CSOs and media.
  • The Alliance emphasizes the need for Pacific regionalism to prioritize human rights and people-centred development over extractive growth and geopolitics.
  • The briefing highlights ongoing struggles for self-determination in West Papua and Kanaky, as well as concerns over gender inequality and violence against women.
  • The Alliance urges Forum Leaders to develop a common human rights framework that reflects Pacific priorities.
  • The briefing paper criticizes the implementation of the 2050 Strategy for being disconnected from communities and prioritizing institutional inertia over transformative ambition.

Statistics:

  • The 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent aims to guide collective action over the next three decades.
  • The PRNGOs Alliance warns that the current implementation trajectory of the 2050 Strategy risks leaving Pacific people behind.
  • The briefing paper highlights that extractive industries, particularly deep-sea mining, pose a significant test for Pacific leadership and may lead to concentrated decision-making in regional institutions and governments.

Sources:

  • "Strengthening Pacific Regionalism through Civil Society Partnership" briefing paper by the Pacific Regional Non-Governmental Organisations (PRNGOs) Alliance
  • PACNEWS

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