The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) provide the authoritative global framework for the respective duties and responsibilities of governments and business enterprises to prevent and address business-related human rights abuses. They also offer a blueprint for how business respect for human rights can support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in line with international human rights standards. The Pacific region has made some progress in raising awareness about the UNGPs and promoting business respect for human rights. The OHCHR Regional Office for the Pacific and the UNWG, in collaboration with other partners, have organized several workshops in Fiji and Papua New Guinea (PNG) during 2018-19 to raise awareness about BHR issues and standards and to build capacity of various stakeholders to implement the UNGPs. The OHCHR Regional Office for the Pacific has also worked with, and provided training to, the Pacific Business Resilience Network (PBRN), the Fiji Business Disaster Resilience Council (FBDRC) and Fiji Commerce & Employers Federation (FCEF) around the UNGPs. The Government of Fiji has adopted the ‘Green Growth Framework’ and recently ratified the ILO’s Violence and Harassment Convention 2019 (No. 190). The Markets for Change (M4C) project of UN Women and the UNDP aims at ensuring that marketplaces in rural and urban areas in Fiji, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu are safe, inclusive and non-discriminatory environments, promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment. The Pacific Island Forum is also developing the ‘2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent’. Moreover, Australia enacted the Modern Slavery Act, which requires large Australia companies to report on the risks of slavery in their operations and supply chains as well as the steps taken (e.g., human rights due diligence and remediation processes) to respond to the identified risks. However, despite all these initiatives, the Pacific region continues to experience significant challenges in addressing adverse human rights impacts of business activities, especially those related to extractives (including deep-sea mining), fishing, and infrastructure projects. Individuals and communities across the Pacific have experienced loss of livelihood, forced displacement, environmental pollution, labour rights abuses, intimidation of human rights defenders, the loss of traditional knowledge and biodiversity, increased risks of community conflicts, and gender-based violence. Moreover, the Pacific region is disproportionately affected by the climate crisis, which directly and indirectly threatens the effective enjoyment of a range of human rights, including the rights to life, water and sanitation, food, health, housing, education, self-determination, culture and development. Individuals and communities continue to face significant barriers in seeking effective remedies and holding the involved businesses accountable for human rights abuses. Given the multitude of BHR challenges as well as different levels of progress in implementing the UNGPs in different world regions, it is critical for all relevant stakeholders to work together in a regional setting to prevent, mitigate and remediate the adverse impact of business activities on human rights. Doing so will contribute to achieving inclusive and sustainable development in the Pacific. It is in this context that the OHCHR Regional Office for the Pacific and the UNWG are organizing the 1st UN Pacific Forum on Business and Human Rights to highlight key BHR issues as well as identify opportunities for effective implementation of the UNGPs in the region. This regional forum will build on past BHR workshops in Fiji and PNG as well as the session at 2019 UN Forum on BHR issues in the Pacific. It aims to foster races to the top in the Pacific region, similar to the UNWG’s strategy in other world regions. Ms. Samantha Kuman, CELCOR's Advocacy Officer, will be presenting on the panel in this session to give an insight to the climate justice actions taken by communities and organizations in Papua New Guinea in the fight against climate change and the movement in response to an emerging coal industry in Papua New Guinea and CELCORs collaborative effort in the NOGAT COAL:NO COAL IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA Campaign. This is an online event. Link to event page below. https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Business/Pages/2020UN-pacific-forum.aspx https://pacificunforumbhr.sched.com/directory/speakers

De Co Boutique, a nationally owned and operated small business start-up, prides itself in protective hairstyles and aftercare for the likes of the working class lady. Ms. Kunta Kaupa, proud owner and leading hair technician of De Co Boutique started the business three years ago. “We started not with the intention of running an actual business or it being my main source of income.” From braiding to weaves, wigs and hair extensions, Kaupa currently heads a team of three full time hair technicians who specialize in providing protective hairstyles and aftercare advice for her clients. “I used to love doing hair myself but the problem is always trying to find good quality hair pieces, where to source them, the different styles and who can actually pull it off.” She said her main customers are women between the ages of 25-50 and they usually prefer a weave, crochet or wig. “I always try to teach myself to stay on top of the game.”  “I don’t say that I’m an experienced braider, but I found a niche market that I have identified and that is where I get most of my clients from.” Having an all-inclusive price which covers for both their hair pieces and installation costs makes De Co Boutique stand out among their competitors.  “We always have clients that come and tell us that for a salon that’s paying rent and for the styles we offer and the quality of our work and for how much we’re charging, we’re actually very affordable.” “That’s the compliment that I get a lot from clients.”  “With the weaves, our base price is K150 and ranges up to K350.” “When we started, we wanted to make it convenient for our clients, where we provide a variety of hair for you to come and choose what hair type you want and what’s fitting to your budget.” As most small businesses, De Co Boutique was hit hard during the COVID 19 lockdowns which ultimately lead to them having to move location and ceasing their barber services. “Because we operate a salon and we are likely to have a close contact with our clients, we weren’t able to operate during the pandemic.” “However, now that the government has put in some funding, we’re hopeful for the next year as life seems to be getting back to normal.” De Co Boutique now plans on expanding its services in 2021 to cater for the demand in the market.

Bank South Pacific has reached new heights in its management – a 100% Papua New Guinean team now leads its Retail Strategic Business Unit. Daniel Faunt today (Wednesday 2nd December 2020,) takes on the helm of the bank’s biggest unit – Retail, as it’s Group General Manager following 40-year banking veteran Paul Thornton’s retirement. “I am delighted to commence as Group General Manager Retail today following Mr Thornton’s retirement." "I thank Mr Thornton for leaving a fantastic legacy and am proud of the fact that with my appointment, for the first time in BSP’s history, the entire BSP Retail Team are now a 100% Papua New Guinea national team. I am honored to be able to lead my fellow country men and women in delivering services to our country and to our people." Adding to BSP Group CEO Robin Fleming’s announcement on the recent appointment of Peter Komon, another young Papua New Guinean, to the role of Deputy General Manager – Retail Sales and Customer Service, Mr Faunt said that Komon’s appointment reinforces BSP’s commitment to the development and promotion of Papua New Guineans in BSP. “Peter brings strong experience, knowledge and energy to our Senior Management team and will do a fantastic job, “said Faunt when congratulating the Western Highlander. With over 13 years experience in the fields of microfinance and retail banking in PNG, Peter studied Agricultural Economics at the University of Sydney, Australia, before starting his career in 2007 in the banking and financial services sector with PNG Microfinance Ltd.  He joined BSP in 2012 as Deputy Head of BSP Rural Banking before appointed as Head of BSP Rural in 2014, a role that saw him travel extensively throughout the country, especially to remote communities, establishing over 30 BSP Sub Branches and BSP Cash Agents between 2012 and 2014.  Since then, Peter has held various management roles with BSP Retail, including a stint as Branch Manager of BSP Haus Branch, from 2016 to 2017. He was the Head of the Retail Procedures & Quota Business Unit prior to his elevation to Deputy General Manager - Retail Sales and Customer Service. Peter moves into the role that was occupied by Kili Tambua, who was promoted to General Manager Offshore Branches, looking after the operations of BSP in Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Cook Islands, Tonga and Samoa. He joins Faunt and another Papua New Guinean Dennis Konu who was recently appointed as well to the role of Deputy General Manager Customer Experience and Support. Konu was a senior participant of BSP’s Leadership Management Development Program. Konu joined BSP in 1996 as a Branch Officer and has progressed in many roles throughout his 24 years’ experience in retail banking.

The Prime Minister Hon. James Marape has reassured me of his support to the Bougainville peace process and the Post Referendum Consultations despite the failure to convene the Joint Supervisory Body Meeting last week. The Bougainville delegation that travelled to Port Moresby for the JSB last week was made up of members of my cabinet and the Bougainville Administration. We were also accompanied by several ABG MP’s and various stakeholders who are members of the Bougainville Post Referendum Consultations team. The convening of the JSB Meeting would have progressed the issues that the Prime Minister and I deliberated on during the Pre-JSB Meeting earlier this month where we also agreed for the meeting to be held last week. For the ABG we brought our consultation team to begin the negotiations on the Post Referendum Consultations that precedes the ratification by the National Parliament. This would have been the first time the two consultation teams from Bougainville and the National Consultation teams would have met to begin the preliminaries on the consultation process framework. The key agendas that are supposed to be discussed at the JSB are; Post Referendum Joint Inter-Government Consultations process frameworkOutstanding Financial IssuesTransfer f BCL Shares to the ABGDrawdown of Powers and functionsOutstanding National Elections debts (2012 and 2017)By-election for Bougainville Regional SeatInvitation to foreign missions to set up development offices on Bougainville. I am disappointed that the JSB was not convened however, I am pleased that the Joint Technical Team co-chaired by the two Chief Secretaries of the two governments was convened last week. The outcome is optimistic and will only require the convening of the JSB to formalize the discussions from the JTT. I am mindful of the political situation that is currently on going in the National Government and I am well aware of how its outcome will have an obvious effect on Bougainville. I maintain my resolve that Bougainville and my government is not party to the outcome of the current political situation but I must insist on the National Government to meet its commitment to the Bougainville Peace Agreement. The BPA is a joint creation by the two governments and its implementation must be honored by the ABG and the National Government. Photo courtesy: abg.gov.pg

In the 2020 Yumi FM PNG Musik Awards 2020, awards were given recognizing artists, bands, songs and producers of 2019. Two bands were vying for the Duo/Group of the year award category, namely Stagajah and Wame blood. Both bands released popular songs that were voted and requested in 2019. The Award for the Duo/Group of the year category was for bands that had the most played songs on the Yumifm Countdowns. This includes the Weekend top 20 countdowns, Top 8@8 and the Top 4 @4. Stagajah took out the award for Duo/Group of the year with their hit songs Asasumba and Hategu. These two songs got the highest number of votes and requests on 93 Yumifm. “Ever since we started in 2014 up until now, we have been part of this event (Yumifm Music Awards). “ “We felt that we were going to win so we were very excited and humbled to receive this award.” Gaiix from Stagajah had this to say to their fans. “We would like to thank our loyal fans, we haven’t been releasing many singles but you all stood by us. We are very thankful for all of you.” “We have finished a song and released it but it hasn’t gone on air yet. Its Christmas time so we are working on Christmas songs. We are still working on the lyrics but once we are done then we’ll record and release for our fans.” He added that with PNG music, all music artists are still learning. He encouraged all artists to unite and work together to get PNG music to the international standard in the next 5 years.

Good news for 400 families of Sigatoka, Ba, Nadi and Lautoka as ANZ Fiji will donate $50 worth of redeemable food pack vouchers to them till the end of January next year. These vouchers are redeemable at any Shop and Save outlet where recipients can purchase basic necessities for their families. ANZ Fiji says they want to donate funds back into the community due to the impact of COVID-19 this year. They have thanked their partners, Loloma Home and Lautoka Ratepayers Association for helping them identify the families in need. Source: Fijivillage

This feature is to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disability on 3 December Imagine having a speech and hearing impairment but eager to learn. This is the story of Anna – a happy young girl who attends Ragizumang Elementary School in rural Markham Valley, Morobe Province. Each day when school ends, Anna and her friends excitedly walk out of their classroom in groups of two and three. Despite her challenges Anna is always eager to be part of the games everyone is playing. Anna (left) takes part in a game of marbles. Her teacher Billy Akim’s moral conviction and support from the school has helped Anna learn in class despite having limited professional development on disability inclusive education. “Anna is a very enthusiastic student,” he says. “Despite having hearing and speech impairments, she has never missed a day of school.” Anna’s drive and passion has inspired Mr Akim and the other teachers, who are doing their best to help her in class. Ragizumang Elementary is one of 325 schools in Morobe benefiting from the Together for Education (T4E) project funded by the Papua New Guinea-Australia Partnership. T4E aims to improve literacy and numeracy of early learners and is implemented by World Vision in partnership with Child Fund, Consultative Implementation Monitoring Council, Library for All, and the University of Canberra. Mr Akim is excited as he will now receive formal training on inclusive teaching and learning, boosting his teaching abilities to support Anna and other children with special needs. He has also taken it upon himself to visit Anna’s parents at their home to explain her progress and encourage them to give Anna the support she needs. “When I teach the students and write on the board, I write slowly and look at Anna to indicate to her that she needs to follow through – she understands and copies what I write,” Mr Akim continues. “I am really looking forward to attending the teacher training to build my skills and knowledge on inclusive education. “This is an area that I feel I really need to improve on, and I am glad for this opportunity.” By end of 2022, T4E will have supported more than 15,000 children including girls and children with disability to improve their literacy and numeracy. Anna is not only encouraged by her teachers to learn but also from her classmates, who work with her. She has the ability to learn and with the right support she will continue to succeed.

US Attorney General William Barr says his justice department has found no proof to back President Donald Trump's claims of fraud in the 2020 election. "To date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election," he said. His comments are seen as a big blow to Mr Trump, who has not accepted defeat. He and his campaign have filed lawsuits in states that he lost, as they begin certifying Joe Biden as the winner. President-elect Biden defeated the incumbent Mr Trump by a margin of 306 to 232 votes in the US electoral college, which chooses the US president. And in the popular vote, Mr Biden won at least 6.2 million more votes than Mr Trump. Since 3 November's election, Mr Trump has repeatedly made unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud, and members of his legal defence team have spoken of an alleged international plot to hand Mr Biden the win. On Tuesday, after Mr Barr's statements were released, the president tweeted several times alluding to voter fraud, again without proof. "There's been one assertion that would be systemic fraud and that would be the claim that machines were programmed essentially to skew the election results," Mr Barr, who is seen as a top Trump ally, told AP News on Tuesday, referring to the assertion that ballot machines were hacked to give more votes to Mr Biden. US Attorney General William Barr Source: BBC News

Students at the Tokarara Secondary School were encouraged to learn beyond classroom teaching by reading books more often for information empowerment about their rights. This was the key message from a team from Constitutional and Law Reform Commission (CLRC) comprising Deputy Secretary Dorothy Mimiko-Kesenga, directors and staff who visited the school this week as part of the whole-of-government effort to mark the 20 Days Human Rights Activism. CLRC GESI section (Gender Equity and Social Inclusion) facilitated the visit. The school was also fortunate to be presented with various CLRC publications. “We urge you to read them to educate yourself more on the different laws and policies we have worked on but also to know who to see when in need of certain services regarding your rights,” Ms. Mimiko- Kesenga said. Deputy Principal Lucy Lapan acknowledged CLRC for the visit and a particularly welcomed the book donation, saying it will go a long way to also serve as text books for students taking the Legal Studies subject. The CLRC Team talked about the fundamental and qualified rights enshrined in the Constitution and CLRC’s involvement in the development of a proposed bill for persons with disability and their rights. Ms. Mimiko-Kesenga thanked the school management for hosting them but importantly signaled out the students’ orderly approach and their interaction with the CLRC team on important human rights issues such as the betel ban and the informal sector in the city, street kids, their trend of begging and the associated education predicament, and the impact of free education on employment opportunities. She said CLRC also took note of the students’ concerns for Legal Studies subject to be made compulsory in secondary schools, adding that the CLRC is willing to actively participate in that area to impart revenant knowledge to the students.

Dennis Schroder, who has made a name for himself as one of the best reserves in the NBA, envisions himself in a new role on the Lakers.  He wants to be the team's starting point guard.  "I did this off the bench stuff already in two years with OKC," Schroder said Monday in his first interview as a Laker. "I think I try to move forward and I think with AD [Anthony Davis] and LeBron [James], I can be helpful as a starter in the PG position and LeBron don’t have [to have] so much stuff in his mind." James, who turns 36 in December, recently officially added elite "point guard" to his illustrious list of accomplishments, averaging an NBA-best 10.2 assists a game for the Lakers last season, a remarkable responsibility for a player who also averaged 25.3 points a game.  Photo courtesy of Fox Sports It's a tall task for anyone and has only been exaggerated by the extremely tight month-and-a-half turnaround between the Lakers winning their NBA record-tying 17th championship Oct. 11 and training camp beginning Dec. 1. The Lakers made it clear they wanted to add playmakers, but it remains to be seen whether coach Frank Vogel shares Schroder's lineup vision. When asked if that was discussed, Schroder inferred it hadn't been a direct conversation between the two of them. "I think my agent talked to the organization before they was trading me, so um, that’s that," Schroder said. Source: Fox Sports

Vanuatu Prime Minister Bob Loughman says the country has contained its first Covid-19 case. Loughman said losing the country's status as a Covid-19 free country was not important. He said what mattered was how a country had the capacity and resources to contain a positive case. The prime minister said ensuring the coronavirus did not spread to the rest of the population was also key. Vanuatu recorded the Covid-19 case on 10 November. Loughman said on Tuesday follow-up tests carried out at the Vila Central Hospital and a reconfirmation test from Australia all returned negative results for the virus. He praised the work being carried out by the health authorities to successfully detect and contain the virus and he said this showed Covid-19 protocols in Vanuatu were "good and confirms they are of standard". The patient is expected to return home today. Vanuatu PM, Bob Loughman Photo: Vanuatu Govt     Source: RNZ News

A Pakistan cricket squad member is the only new case of Covid-19 in managed isolation today, the Ministry of Health says. In a statement, the ministry said the cricket squad member was one of three reported as "under investigation" yesterday, and had been confirmed to have an active infection today. The ministry said the other two people were still under investigation. The case is the eighth member of the squad to test positive and was picked up as part of testing at the team's hotel in Christchurch two days ago. The ministry said the team is still unable to get an exemption to train together, because Canterbury heatlh officials are not satisfied they can do that without transmitting the virus to each other. The ministry said all close contacts of the November quarantine cluster linked to a defence force quarantine worker had completed their testing and all returned negative results, and the cluster was expected to close 28 days from the date when the last case was recovered. Despite extensive investigation, no epidemiological link between case A and case D in the cluster had been found. All the cases in the cluster have been linked genomically. The recovery of a previous case means New Zealand's active cases remains at 72, with total confirmed cases at 1704. The 7076 tests completed yesterday bring total tests to 1,285,766. Yesterday, there were three new cases in managed isolation facilities. Image courtesy Radio NZ Source: RNZ Sports