A US$3 million project on enhancing protection and empowerment of migrants and communities affected by climate change and disasters in the Pacific region was launched today in Suva.
Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says that there is a need to deal with climate change in a holistic manner and the talks on relocation needs urgent addressing.
Sayed-Khaiyum says that so far three villagers have been moved to three different location in Fiji due to climate change and says that this poses different issues and challenges to the people affected.
He says that the reality of such movement is not easy as it also poses a number of legal and socio-economic issues as there will be needs for some rules around it.
He says that rules pertaining to the status of those people in respect to what they are considered; whether as refugees, how that is processed, rules around it and how domestic law could be applied to them.
Sayed-Khaiyum says that this is why workshops as such as these are important as it will play a vital role in the implementation of laws pertaining to relocation.
The project which is funded by the UN Trust Fund for Humanity Security is aimed to support a regional human based response on climate change related displacement, migration and planned relocation.
It will target to increase the capacity of government and non-government stakeholders to promote labour mobility that is safe, regular and inclusive.
ADVERTISEMENT
