2nd UN Pacific Business & Human Rights Forum

Deputy Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Distinguished Delegates,

Good morning from Pohnpei,

It is a great honour that I address you as the new Resident Coordinator from Micronesia. The office for Micronesia was initiated in October this year and demonstrates the commitment of the United Nations, and its Member States, to the Micronesia countries, notably the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Kiribati, Palau, Nauru and the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), ensuring that we leave no one behind. My office will contribute to strengthen the UN’s support to the realisation of UN principles, human rights, gender equality and sustainability across the region.

Ladies and gentlemen,

This year we have seen in various international fora such as the Human Rights Council, the global Food Systems Summit in September, and the just concluded COP 26 negotiations, that the climate crisis represents the most significant threat to human rights world-wide, and particularly for the Pacific nations. We have also seen a global movement for more to be done, whether it’s the realisation of the right to a healthy and sustainable environment or the creation of the special rapporteur on climate change, people are asking for more accountability and more protection of their rights and the environment. We all, including the business community, have a role to play, therefore this Forum could not be timelier.

Small island developing states (SIDS), have been amongst the most active and vocal in these global dialogues that have focused on the very foundations of survival of the peoples of this region. Realising human rights is at the heart of this discourse. The rights of the peoples of the Pacific are intrinsically linked to the social, economic, and ecological balance of the region as the Pacific people’s culture, tradition, and livelihoods are interlinked with the natural world.

This forum acknowledges the importance of the role of business, both national and international, in the human rights narrative and seeks to support the sector to leverage its role as an agent of transformative positive change in the Pacific.

The Pacific region faces a unique complexity of human rights challenges in which business plays a critical role, they can not only protect human rights but also lend their hands to strategic global objectives such as the 2030 Agenda,  which built upon common principles and values , shared goals based on a shared vision placing people and the planet at the centre, calls upon us to ensure an all-of- society, from government to the private sector to civil society at the local, national, regional and global levels to work in partnership to ensure that no region, no country, no individual is left behind as we aim to ensure a peaceful, secure and better future for all. The 2030 Agenda reminds us that in order for this to be achieved, we do truly need to act all-for-one, and one-for-all, or we will fail. Business and the private sector have the ability to be a pivotal development partner in the realization of the SDGs. If these are to be achieved, is essential that the business community fully assumes its responsibilities regarding climate change, COVID-19 recovery and human rights.

The business sector is such a crucial actor due to the nature of the foundations upon which the region’s economies are based, such as: leveraging of natural resources, international fishing industry and extractive industries including land and deep-sea mining, and tourism. When considering the additional stress factors arising from the region’s physical and socio-political geography, a unique pattern of challenges emerges. Human trafficking, illegal and unregulated labour migration, exploitation of migrant workers and modern-day slavery, destruction of marine resources including fish stocks and coral, sexual exploitation and abuse, child exploitation, the impact of climate change, and the mental health issues related to climate anxiety are just some of challenges compounding each other with devastating effects . Left unchecked, the results on the social and cultural fabric of the region as well as the sustainability of the economy threaten to destroy the habitat upon which the very survival of the people depends … limiting progress towards the SDGs globally.

To support business actors to realise this ambition, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) were developed to provide the authoritative global framework to prevent and address negative human rights impacts related to business, which include business-related human rights impacts from climate change. The UNGPs reflect core elements of international human rights law. Any legal or policy responses to the human rights implications of climate change that involve business should be aligned with the UNGPs as well as with relevant international standards and their current interpretation.

In the Pacific Region, in particular, having to face the realities of the climate emergency and the socio-economic impact of COVID-19, concrete action is required. It is now that we must focus on “building back better”, or even simply “building up better”. National Action Plans on Business and Human Rights across the Pacific region could be a pivotal instrument supporting the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights; supporting governments to mitigate negative human rights impact of business whilst garnering their transformative power to promote human security and rights.

Why are we highlighting the importance of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the National Action Plans for the Pacific? Is this not a global initiative to address a global issue? I would argue that the Pacific is facing a unique combination of issues which the global community must support the region in addressing with a unique sense of urgency. It is not an exaggeration to say that the small island developing states, in particular, but not exclusively, the small atoll nations are facing a crisis of near apocalyptic proportions. There is still time to act now, but act now we must. It is this sense of urgency – even state of emergency - in the Pacific, which makes it imperative to urgently strengthen the focus on business and human rights in the Pacific.

Distinguished colleagues,

We must acknowledge that some progress has been made in recent years, but it is too slow and disparate, both in the business sector itself as well as in terms of the regulatory environment. Despite the growth in digital traceability and platforms promoting transparency, supply chains remain largely opaque. Less than a fifth of companies confirmed full supply chain mapping and scrutiny.

Some positive developments are evident in the Pacific. The Council of Regional Organisations of the Pacific has developed and agreed upon the ‘2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent’, Australia enacted the Modern Slavery Act, which requires large Australian companies to report on the risks of slavery in their operations and supply chains as well as the steps taken to respond to the identified risks (e.g., human rights due diligence and remediation processes). Multiple capacity development initiatives promoting sustainable and inclusive economic opportunities and growth at the local level such as the UN Women and UNDP projects in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, amongst others, have been launched.

Circling back to the 2030 Agenda, specifically SDG 17 focusing on Partnerships for development, the commitment of all actors at all levels, including regional organisations and global economic entities is required if rights for all is to be achieved. The business and human rights nexus has long been a challenge in the realm of multinational companies and international investments, and it will continue to be an uphill battle. Nonetheless, the 2021 UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human rights 10 years on Stocktaking Report does indicate that whilst there is a long way ahead, the principles and the National Actions Plans are enabling positive change and providing states and businesses with effective tools to mitigate the negative impact of business on human rights and forge constructive global business and public-private partnerships that promote human rights and push forward towards the attainment of the SDGs.

As a Representative of the Secretary-General, it is my duty and my honour to advocate for the actioning of the UN principles, values and norms. It is the role of the UN, as determined by its member states, to work in a collaborative manner with business partners to seek positive action. We call upon the business community and states to adopt and comply with the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights, and for governments to implement policies and plans that seek to encourage human rights due diligence, through the development and implementation of legislation, policies and, National Actions Plans.  Through this positive and comprehensive approach, Pacific States can harness the power of businesses and use this force to contribute to the realisation of 2030 Agenda, the goal of 1.5 degrees and advance human rights for all.

I thank you for your time.