The Pacific Community (SPC) recently finalised the merger of two of its divisions, namely, the Regional Rights Resource Team (RRRT) and the Social Development Programme (SDP). The newly merged division is now known as the Human Rights and Social Development (HRSD) Division and has been effective since 1 September 2020.
The merger of the two former divisions arose out of a recognition they shared many common mandates and priorities, and that combining these efforts would enable the work of both divisions to be amplified. RRRT brought with it the mandate of human rights while SDP brought in gender and social inclusion, youth and culture. The new division now holds the portfolio for human rights and social development issues in SPC.
According to Miles Young, Director of HRSD Division, the new merged division provides an opportunity for SPC to shine a spotlight on human rights, youth, culture, gender and social inclusion in the Pacific, and to deliver better outcomes in these areas.
“As a division, want to ensure that we address development issues in a coherent and comprehensive way. HRSD will be ambitious, innovative and transformational in its work in the areas of human rights, youth, culture, gender and social inclusion and ensure that we contribute to making SPC a distinctly Pacific organisation in the region,” Young said.
HRSD’s vision is for just, equitable and resilient Pacific Island societies, which can be achieved by advancing human rights, equality and social inclusion for all Pacific people, grounded in cultural values and principles.
The new division’s mandate also includes supporting and ensuring that SPC puts people at the centre of its work, whether in the fisheries sector, in the geoscience sector, in the land resources sector, or in any of the other areas in which SPC serves its members.
HRSD as part of its transition has also finalised a new design for its divisional icon, which has already been added to the divisional links in the SPC website, and will become a standard identifier for HRSD publications.
“The new icon for HRSD is symbolic of its human rights and social development support for the Pacific region to achieve better development outcomes and greater impacts for SPC members in the areas of human rights, good governance, culture, youth, gender equality and social inclusion,” Young stated.