NGOs urge Solomon Islands to reform logging and mining laws at UPR to protect human rights and environment.
The Franciscans International an International Non-Governmental Organization with ECOSOC Status, and Solomon Islands Climate Action Network (SICAN) in collaboration with Dominicans for Justice and Peace, have participated in UPR 4th Cycle, jointly appealing to the Solomon Islands Government to take urgent action, on the impacts of Logging and mining on the Human rights of local communities in the Solomon Islands.
This joint appeal urges the Government for stronger actions to adopt adequate legal framework on Logging and Mining, noting the current legal framework on both the current forest and Timber utilization Act 1969 and Mines and Minerals resources Act of 1990 are outdated, this legal frameworks have failed to adequately regulate development project negotiations and calling for adoptions of adequate legal framework, that upholds the principle of Prior and informed consent (FPIC) with direct negotiations between company, the land owners and local communities on the fundamentals and standards of Human Rights (UDHR).
Remedies to ensure businesses engaged in logging and mining operations respect human rights, including by instituting mandatory human rights due diligence, equitable benefit sharing, and ensure that adverse human rights impacts, including abuses related to the right to food and the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, are prevented, and that effective remedies are available when abuses occur.
The recommendations also call for stronger actions, noting that Logging and Mining has affected the right to a clean, Healthy and sustainable environment, report of local communities impacted with polluted rivers and water sources, caused serious health risks.
The statement highlights that impacts of climate change have been exacerbated and accelerated by the logging and mining activities causing distractions of ecosystems, particularly mangroves and river systems that hugely weakens climate resilience and increases vulnerability and further reducing the capacity of the local communities to adapt to climate change, as natural barriers that protect low lying from sea level rise continue to disappear.
The joint statement calls to ensure that local communities on the frontlines are provided with solutions to mitigate and adapt to climate change impacts, including by improving infrastructure to reduce flooding, enhancing early warning systems and restoring coral reefs, mangroves and forests through reforestation and sustainable forest management programmes.
The joint statement also supports the call to amend the Islanders marriage Act 1945 to increase the minimum age of marriage to 18 years, and call for establishment of complaint mechanism at the provincial level for victims of gender-based violence, child sexual exploitation and human trafficking in the logging and mining industries. And strengthening institutional capacity to support victims of gender-based violence, child sexual exploitation and human trafficking by increasing human, technical and financial resources, in particular through the provision of safe shelters, psychosocial support, counselling, medical care and rehabilitation services.
The Solomon Islands Civil societies like SICAN and its network members and Partners re affirms its commitment towards supporting the National priorities in providing implementation and support to the local communities, and wish to see the National Government take this opportunity through the UPR processes to take leadership in recognition to the recommendations.
SOURCE: Joint Press Release
