First published in 2005, Cultural Etiquette in the Pacific is an introductory guide to the diverse array of cultural knowledge and practices found throughout the 26 countries that SPC serves in the Pacific region. This new and revised second edition, produced by SPC’s Social Development programme, continues our commitment to sharing ideas and experiences in the region and to serve as an educational tool to ensure we can continue providing effective service to Pacific communities.
“This booklet will assist us to communicate in ways that are culturally appropriate, including the sharing of ideas and experience, and facilitate a deeper understanding of how Pacific societies operate.”

Dr. Stuart Minchin, Pacific Community Director-General

This booklet has been an invaluable resource for SPC staff working in Pacific communities over the last 15 years. New features include a compact fold-out version of the SPC Pacific map and detailed country maps for each entry. Country information has been updated to reflect recent changes to leadership and cultural protocols, and the layout has been re-designed to make it fast and easy to navigate while travelling or working in the region.

The Pacific Human Rights Situational Analysis Report 2020  analyses the situation of human rights across 16 Pacific Islands Countries (PICs) in the region:  Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Republic of Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), Republic of Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Kingdom of Tonga, Tuvalu, and Republic of Vanuatu.

This edition covers the period from June 2016 to December 2019 and includes a special chapter on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on human rights in the Pacific in 2020.   The situation of human rights in the Pacific has been assessed through desktop research compiled from open sources including the United Nations Universal Periodic Review and treaty bodies. It is brought to you by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and SPC’s Human Rights and Social Development Division.

This Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) poster features artworks done by children from the Pacific region during the COVID19 lockdown period showcasing their perspective and understanding of what human rights means to them. Children from the ages of 6 to 16 took part in this activity from the following countries: Fiji, Republic of Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

This handbook resource has been developed as an essential guide for teachers in Tuvalu to help them create an enabling environment for children in the classroom by promoting inclusivity, non-violence and non-discrimination as an alternative and a more positive means of behaviour management.

The handbook is user friendly and a one-stop shop giving confidence to teachers, parents and community members in understanding the issues surrounding corporal punishment and moving a step closer to realising children's right to protection from all forms of violence in all settings.

'Taf Tumas! Different journeys, one people" is Vanuatu’s first non-fiction children’s storybook about inspiring ni-Vanuatu. The highly illustrated 180-page hardback book presents 40 diverse stories for children, parents and teachers to read together. The book celebrates the inspirational stories of a diverse range of Vanuatu's people who have helped shape the nation. With all sorts of backgrounds and beginnings, the people within these pages have taken different journeys, but have touched the lives of Vanuatu people. The publication is available in both the English and French language.

The Vanuatu Children's Literature team has also made the reading resources available on its newly launched Taf Tumas website, which makes available all the 40 stories, in English and French, for global audiences. The website, produced by Taf Tumas volunteers, also includes the audio stories, in English, French and Bislama.

The 84th Extraordinary Outreach Session of the Committee on the Rights of the Child in Samoa ( 'CRC84') was the first time any of the United Nations Treaty Bodies have held a regional session to review multiple countries outside of Geneva or New York. The historic and innovative nature of this meeting mean it is prudent to document the experience and lessons learned, in order to inform future thinking around regional or sub-regional sessions.

Authored by SPC RRRT, this review attempts to capture this through a consultative process and by drawing on a range of sources.

Rising Tide is a poetry anthology publication comprising a range of poems and artworks from across the Pacific region, covering topics such as gender equality, social inclusion and justice, and ending violence against women and children, and is suitable for students in Years 7-13.

The poems in this publication speak to the changes that our island communities are facing; they speak of the leadership required in all our communities to weather the social changes; they speak of hope for a world without violence against women and children.

Livestream of the launch of the book can be viewed here.

The ‘Pacific Principles of Practice’ represents a significant achievement for this region in developing a guiding document for National Mechanisms for Implementation, Reporting and Follow-Ups (NMIRFs) towards the effective implementation of human rights and SDGs– a step forward that is of great global interest and which can be used to inform the establishment of such mechanisms worldwide.This document was officially launched at a virtual side event of the 44th Human Rights Council.

The Pacific Commonwealth Equality Project (PCEP) was a two-year project funded by the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The project aimed to drive inclusive and equitable social change through good governance, respect for human rights, and fairer opportunities for politically, socially, and economically marginalised communities. This ensure that the targeted countries are in a better position to achieve sustainable development outcomes for current and future generations.