The Marshall Islands ambassador to Fiji says the rights of women are most likely to be compromised by any free trade deals in the Pacific.
A United Nations-sponsored workshop on the impact of such agreements on human rights is recommending that countries carry out a human impact assessment before signing up to any deal.
Wednesday's meeting in Suva was attended by NGOs and other regional organisations as well as several government representatives.
Amatlain Kabua says although the Marshall Islands is still some way from striking any free trade deals, when it does, human rights will need to be protected.
"You know they will need to really study that because it might affect the human rights cases in the Marshall Islands should the, you know we liberalise our or if we ever go into a trade agreement. Of course I think the women will always in any society that you know, we always get the raw deal."
The Marshall Islands' ambassador to Fiji, Amatlain Kabua.
