OHCHR in Pacific Regional Office

Profile

The Regional Office for the Pacific (ROP) covers 16 countries of the Pacific region: Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands Countries (PICs): Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. Most of the population of PICs is indigenous and traditional structures and religious beliefs influence the daily way of life.

Achievements

• The Regional Office for the Pacific provides advice and support to Government's effort leading to ratification of core human rights treaties, particularly CAT, CCPR, ESCR and CMW. Since 2015, there have been 18 ratifications, and increased engagement of States with Special Procedures.
• In 2018, Tonga and Tuvalu completed the 3rd UPR Cycle with the OHCHR Regional Office leading and contributing to the preparation of the UNCT submissions for each country reviewed. Since 2015, OHCHR Regional Office for the Pacific has successully advocated and provided support for eight country visists by the Special Procedures which contributed to enhanced understanding and dilogue on specific thematic areas of human rights in the Pacific and the region.
• The Office, together with the Asia Pacific Forum (APF) of National Human Rights Institutions, and the Pacific Community-Rights and Regional Rights Resource Team (SPC/RRRT), continues supporting the establishment of new NHRIs and strengthening existing ones, including through thematic training targeting NHRIs functions.
• OHCHR ROP conducted assessment visits to communities affected by climate change and developed the first issue paper of a thematic series on climate change and human rights in the Pacific.
• OHCHR ROP promotes and advocates for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) Pacific Islanders. OHCHR has strengthened alliance with LGBTI support groups and LGBTI rights defenders in the region and expanded opportunities for collaboration and mutual learning on programmes and activities. Some Pacific countries recently decriminalised same-sex relations and law enforcement agencies and correctional services are aligning training, policies and procedures to 'do no harm' principles and non-discriminatory practices.
• OHCHR ROP assists and provides advise to the Pacific UN Resident Coordinators, UN Country Team and UN Joint Presences. The Office provides guidance on the Human Rights Based Approach and on international human rights mechanisms.

Partners and Donors

Partners: UN partners, civil society organisations, National Human Rights Institutions, Secretariat of the Pacific Community/Regional Rights Resource Team (RRRT), the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF), Asia Pacific Forum (APF) of National Human Rights Institutions, and the University of South Pacific (USP, NGO umbrella PIANGO, Diplomacy Training Programme and other CSAs and academia.

Donors: Australia, Sweden, New Zealand.

UN Human Rights Focus Areas

Last reviewed: July 2020