Small Island Pacific States chart a shared human rights future at Regional LDCs/SIDS Workshop in Federated States of Micronesia

“The Council is stronger when it is more inclusive. Your voices: especially on climate change, sustainable development, and cultural rights; ground our deliberations in the realities people face every day.”
— Jürg Lauber, President of the Human Rights Council

The President’s words echoed through the Kamorale Convention Centre as the morning sun broke over the hills of Palikir, Federated States of Micronesia. 

For three days, delegates from across the Pacific came together not simply to discuss human rights, but to reaffirm a shared identity, shared challenges and a shared future. This was the first LDCs/SIDS Pacific Regional Workshop ever held in the Micronesian subregion.

The workshop was hosted in partnership with the Government of the Federated States of Micronesia and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, with support from the UN Resident Coordinator's Office Micronesia. Participants from Fiji, FSM, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu came together to strengthen Pacific Voices at the UN Human Rights Council.

Set against the backdrop of a polarised global order of shrinking space for human rights, Micronesia and the Pacific region have emerged as strong defenders of multilateralism.

Participants from the ten governments of Small Pacific Islands Developing States arrived at the workshop with different histories and perspectives, yet united by common priorities that have shaped generations: the urgency of climate justice, the pursuit of gender equality, ensuring progressive social and legal reforms while supporting rights-respecting traditions, social protection and mobility, and the enduring nuclear legacy.

The workshop was formally opened by H.E. Wesley W. Simina, President of the Federated States of Micronesia; Jürg Lauber, President of the Human Rights Council; Heike Alefsen, OHCHR Regional Representative for the Pacific; Hui Lu, Secretary of the Human Rights Council, and Mr. Patterson Shed, Chief of Staff, Pohnpei State. Development partners Australia, Japan and the FSM Permanent Mission New York reaffirmed their commitment to the work of the HRC by attending the opening ceremony in Palikir.

A Pacific region at the forefront of human rights

The gathering came during an exceptionally active year for Pacific engagement with the human rights system. Fiji, Kiribati and the Marshall Islands underwent Universal Periodic Review of their human rights situation at the Human Rights Council; FSM, Nauru, Palau and Solomon Islands are preparing for theirs; and the region hosted UN Special Rapporteurs, notably the first mission to FSM by the Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights.

Small Islands Developing States across the Pacific are the least responsible for climate change but among the most affected. This is why the Human Rights Council’s adoption of its first resolution linking the ocean and human rights was another significant milestone, building on decades of leadership on ocean stewardship.

Testimonials from former LDCs/SIDS Trust Fund beneficiaries were among the workshop’s most powerful moments. Many spoke of the profound impact of addressing the Human Rights Council for the first time. Participants also had the opportunity to directly engage with the President of the Human Rights Council on their countries most urgent human rights priorities:

“For Pacific island nations like the Marshall Islands, climate change is not a future threat, but a present reality.” - Tamelia Rang, Human Rights Coordinator, RMI Ministry of Culture & Internal Affairs and LDCs/SIDS Workshop participant

“The nuclear legacy is a human rights issue that not only affects the Republic of the Marshall Islands, but the entire Pacific region.” - Ariana Kilma, Chairperson, Marshall Islands National Nuclear Commission and LDCs/SIDS Workshop participant

The exchanges reflected how the Trust Fund is opening doors for Pacific delegates, ensuring that voices shaped by frontline experiences help guide global decision-making.

OHCHR’s Deepening work across the Pacific

The workshop also shone a light on the long-standing work of the OHCHR in the Pacific, which has engaged with governments, civil society and communities in the region for two decades. With staff now based in Fiji, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea and Samoa, OHCHR works across:

• climate mobility and environmental protection
• gender equality and the rights of women and girls
• disability rights and inclusive policy-making
• media freedoms, cybercrime legislation and digital rights
• judicial independence, rule of law and support for democratic institutions
• protection of civic space and support to human rights defenders
• torture prevention and law enforcement capacity-building
• cultural rights and traditional knowledge
• the nuclear legacy and historical justice

This work takes the form of legal advice, public education, training for civil servants, community dialogue, support for national human rights institutions and engagement with the UN system to integrate human rights across programming.

In her opening address, OHCHR Regional Representative Heike Alefsen reflected on the Pacific’s commitment to multilateralism:

“Over the past years, in the Pacific, we have been seeing an increase in engagement on leaving no one behind that embodies a human rights-based approach to sustainable development. We have also seen more requests from countries for support to working with human rights mechanisms, but we need the LDC/SIDS Trust Fund, our Office and the UN in the Pacific to be fully resourced to be able to continue this work."  

Charting the Path Forward

On the final day, participants drafted a set of forward-looking recommendations which will contribute to work under Human Rights Council Resolution 49/32. They centred on stronger national coordination, more consistent follow-up to recommendations, improved regional collaboration in Geneva, and sustained investment in capacity-building.

Underlying these proposals was a shared belief that Pacific engagement must move beyond representation towards deeper implementation at national level. The goal is not simply to speak in global forums, but to ensure that what is said there translates into tangible improvements across Pacific communities.

A Shared Commitment to Human Dignity

As the workshop came to a close, the feeling was one of unity and resolve. The Pacific’s presence at the Human Rights Council has never been stronger, but sustained solidarity will be essential as the region continues to confront existential challenges and navigates a world where enabling space for human rights is shrinking.

President Lauber’s closing reflection captured the spirit of the week:

“From Palikir to the Palais des Nations, from the Pacific to the Alps, we are united by the same dignity, the same aspirations, and the same responsibility to make the Human Rights Council a home for all voices.”

The seas, as the FSM Constitution reminds us, bring Pacific peoples together rather than divide them. This spirit of connection guided the workshop, and it is hoped that it will continue to shape the region’s human rights journey in the years ahead.