Remarks for the Concluding Plenary of the 2nd Annual United Nations Pacific Forum on Business and Human Rights

H.E. Ms. Nazhat Shameem Khan, President of the Human Rights Council

Excellencies,
Dear Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Bula Vinaka and Good Day.

It is my great honour to speak to you all today at the closing plenary of this Second United Nations Pacific Forum on Business and Human Rights. Allow me to thank the organisers of this Forum, the Pacific Regional Office of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Working Group on business and human rights, in collaboration with the International Labour Organization, the United Nations Capital Development Fund, UN Women, UN Environmental Programme, the University of Queensland, the Australian Human Rights Commission, the Asia Pacific Forum, the Citizens’ Constitutional Forum, and the Diplomacy Training Program, and with the support of the Government of Sweden.

It is without a doubt that the momentum to better address business and human rights issues in the Pacific continues to build, raising awareness and building the capacity of various stakeholders to fully and effectively implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. This momentum speaks to the commitment of the Pacific.

The Pacific, like all other regions, have felt the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, and like the rest of the world, the Pacific continues to remain resilient. When looking ahead as we build back better after the pandemic and prepare for future health emergencies, it would be a missed opportunity if we failed to think about what a future without COVID would look like? What changes can we make now to ensure businesses build forward and prepare better? How can we incorporate greater respect for both people and the planet into business plans for the post-COVID era? 

The Pacific region faces both common and unique challenges, and individually, Pacific states are at different levels of progress when it comes to implementing the Guiding Principles. I will strongly encourage Pacific states to develop a National Action Plan on business and human rights in an inclusive and consultative manner, in line with the Working Group’s recommendation.

 The Guiding Principles provides a pathway for States and businesses to achieve a more just, inclusive, and sustainable economy. The OHCHR’s guidance note on “business and human rights in times of covid 19” and the Working Group’s information note on “A roadmap for recovery in times of economic crisis” provide further guidance on building greater resilience and in preparing better.

In this vein, when looking at the linkages between human rights, the SDGs and the climate agenda for instance, it is important to note that the Human Rights Council has taken steps to help address these linkages. It is my honour to inform you that at its 48th session, the Council adopted a resolution establishing a Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change to study the impact of climate change on human rights and make recommendations regarding how to address and prevent climate changes adverse human rights impacts. Moreover, at the 48th session, the Council adopting a resolution recognising the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable as a human right that is important for the enjoyment of human rights. The Pacific States were fundamental to both these resolutions being presented and adopted by the Human Rights Council.

These resolutions, which are particularly important for Small Island Developing States, including in the Pacific, advance the discussions on the impact of climate change, environment degradation and loss of biodiversity on human rights. It is my great hope that these resolutions, and the activities they trigger, will create synergies in efforts to promote human rights in the context of climate change and to fully realise the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment within the business and human rights agenda.

Excellencies,
Dear colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Before concluding, I would like to highlight one particularly important good practice we need to preserve so that the business and human rights agenda is effectively advanced in the Pacific: we must ensure that civic space is open and that all stakeholders and communities, particularly individuals and groups in vulnerable and marginalized situations, are meaningfully consulted and engaged when working to advance the business and human rights agenda.

As we all know, the best and most responsive human rights policies are created when the populations’ most vulnerable to human rights violations are involved in their development. In this connection, let us endeavour to keep our civic space open and, by so doing, creating particularly effective human rights policies in the context of business.

Vinaka vakalevu and thank you.