Australia’s response to the priorities of Pacific Island countries and the Pacific region
The Law Council of Australia provided a submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade as part of its inquiry into Australia’s response to the priorities of Pacific Island countries and the Pacific region.
The Law Council emphasises that Pacific Island countries and local civil society organisations are best placed to advise on their key priorities – both domestically and within the region.
While Pacific Island countries are not a homogenous group, and do have diverse interests, there are common challenges and concerns that affect the entirety of the region. As noted in the Boe Declaration on Regional Security, ‘climate change remains the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of the peoples of the Pacific.’1 The Pacific Islands Forum’s 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific and the 2050 Strategy Implementation Plan 2023–2030 similarly outlines key concerns and aspirations for the region as collectively agreed by Pacific leaders.
This submission focuses on Pacific priorities in the legal and justice sector, noting that the rule of law and development are strongly interrelated and mutually reinforcing.2
The Law Council of Australia has for many years maintained an interest in promoting the development of legal professional bodies, the justice sector, and the rule of law in the Pacific region.
Read the full submission below.
1 Pacific Islands Forum, Boe Declaration on Regional Security (5 September 2018) Article 1(i).
2 Declaration of the High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Rule of Law at the National and International Levels, GA Res 67/1 UN Doc A/RES/67/1 (19 September 2012) para 7.
See also Margaret Satterthwaite, Report of the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, UN Doc A/HRC/56/62 (9 April 2024) 12. The IBA Report on the Social and Economic Impact of the Legal Profession (2024) also demonstrates how the work of lawyers directly and indirectly impacts the lives of citizens around the world. The Report illustrates the correlation between respect for the rule of law, including the protection of human rights and adherence to international law, and economic growth and social welfare.
Last Updated on 15/08/2024
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