Pacific parliamentarians meeting in Brisbane have renewed a call for a regional human rights body to be set up.
Such a mechanism is seen as increasingly important to handle the growing number of inter-jurisdictional human rights issues such as the effects of climate
change and migrant workers.
The MPs have been discussing human rights issues in the Pacific, including violence against women, HIV and human rights and the law.
Calls for a regional body to monitor human rights were first made in a similar forum in Auckland two years ago.
A regional human rights commission could facilitate rights specific to the
Pacific region while also conforming to international human rights standards.
It would also complement current judicial systems as well as the development of harmonised human rights law between Pacific countries.
A Pacific commission could also assist in the set-up of national bodies and complement their work.
