ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the extent to which human rights law and mechanisms can be used to further environmental protection objectives in the region, taking account of the region’s cultural diversity and its potential to contribute to the evolution of human rights norms. While there are clear practical and rhetorical benefits in the use of human rights norms to address environmental degradation, there are also possible tensions between traditional Pacific Island cultures and customary law, and the objectives and principles underlying human rights norms as they are currently understood. There are also potential problems with an appeal to human rights, particularly in the Pacific context. The chapter also considers the contrasting ethics contained in Pacific customary laws and culture, and outlines some conceptual tensions and potential resolutions. The role of international human rights bodies in addressing environmental degradation and the adverse effects of climate change in the Pacific is explored.
