Marginalized Voices to the Global Stage
Rae Bainteiti, Banaban Human Rights Defender Network and Malina Gepp, Permanent Mission of Austria to the United Nations in Geneva
For decades, the Banaban people have fought for equity, justice, and reparations—a struggle rooted in their displacement due to extractive phosphate mining that devastated their ancestral island of Banaba. That historical harm is worsened by ongoing discriminatory policies by the two primary governments involved: Fiji and Kiribati. This year, these calls for justice have finally reached the halls of the United Nations.
Fiji’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) became a platform for Banaban leaders to bring global attention to the systemic discrimination faced by their community. For the first time, the Banaban story was not just told—it was heard.
The Path to Geneva
This historic moment was the result of years of quiet and relentless effort. ICAAD has worked alongside the Banaban Human Rights Defenders Network (BHRDN) since 2020, offering strategic support, workshops, and human rights education that kept Banaban human rights defenders in the driver’s seat. Together, we mapped a strategy to address systemic inequities, focusing on actionable steps to shift power and amplify Banaban voices.
You may recall the Justice for Rabi: The Story of Banaba exhibition or the Banaban Citizenship Handbook, a resource designed to clarify the legal rights of a community often navigating unclear and discriminatory policies. All of these interventions were more than just isolated projects. They have been launching points for the Banaban human rights defenders to expand their advocacy with intentionality, confidence, and precision.
When the opportunity to engage in Fiji’s UPR arose, we were ready. Equipped with irrefutable evidence, clear recommendations, and a powerful vision for their community’s future, we prepared to bring the Banaban story to the global stage.
From Advocacy to Action
Thanks to the support of the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy and the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC), ICAAD’s Erin Thomas and BHRDN’s volunteer Rae Bainteiti were able to bring this story to Geneva. Using ICAAD’s prototype UPR for CSOs Dashboard, the team identified our potential allies and found member states most likely to champion our cause. In meeting rooms and side events, the team engaged directly with UN diplomats, articulating the demands of the Banaban community:
- Protection for human rights defenders facing harassment and retaliation from government officials.
- The restoration of democratic governance for the Rabi Council of Leaders.
Diplomats who had never heard of Banaba and rarely encountered civil society representatives from the Pacific at all were hearing stories from the community, experiencing the weaving and dancing in the virtual exhibit, and understanding these complex and critical issues for the first time.
In the summary of stakeholder reports key Banaban issues were highlighted, including the following:
- “Fiji had failed to fulfil a number of fundamental rights of the Banabans enshrined in the Fiji Constitution, including the rights to education, housing, water and sanitation, adequate food, and health.”
- And “that the Senior Medical Officer at the Rabi Health Centre had declared the island’s water unsafe for people to drink. It also stated that the single health centre on Rabi Island was unable to meet the health needs of Banabans and was severely under-resourced. Non-basic healthcare treatment and maternity care could only be accessed by travelling between 80 and 200 kilometres to nearby islands which could be prohibitively costly for some.”
Furthermore, our lobbying efforts helped shape the official recommendations, with a number of member states drawing attention to the issues around harassment and intimidation of human rights defenders by Fiji government officials. Ireland echoed one of our key recommendations calling on Fiji to “conduct impartial, thorough, and independent investigations into attacks, harassment, and intimidation against civil society members, human rights defenders, and journalists to ensure a safe and enabling environment for their work.”
While these are statements and recommendations, and it is yet to be seen whether and how the Fijiian government will implement them, these successes are an unprecedented acknowledgement of the struggle for the rights of the Banaban people, and a commitment from the global community to stand with them.
Impact Beyond the UPR
The significance of this moment lies not only in the outcome but in the road to achieving them. By supporting Banaban human rights defenders to lead their own advocacy efforts, we witnessed a monumental shift—one where a historically marginalised community took control of their narrative, engaged directly with decision-makers, and influenced international human rights discourse.
This was not just ICAAD’s work; it was a testament to what’s possible when communities have the tools and opportunities to advocate for themselves. The role we played—whether in capacity-building workshops, data analysis, or connecting leaders to international mechanisms—was to augment and amplify the voices already fighting for justice.
The Work Ahead
The journey is far from over. Recommendations from the UPR are only as powerful as the action that follows. Together with BHRDN, we are:
- Tracking Fiji’s implementation of their human rights commitments.
- Preparing for Kiribati’s UPR in April, where Banaban issues will be raised once again.
- Continuing to strengthen the advocacy skills and capacity of Banaban leaders, ensuring they remain at the forefront of these efforts.
This work is about more than one moment or one mechanism. It’s about clearing the path to systemic change, driven by the groundswell of leadership from the people most affected.
Why It Matters
The Banaban people’s story reminds us why this work is so important. Justice rarely happens by chance; it is demanded, fought for and won by those who have been and are being harmed. By standing beside communities like the Banaban Human Rights Defenders Network and unlocking pathways to catalyse their advocacy, we move closer to a world where every voice counts.
At ICAAD, we are humbled to walk this path alongside the Banaban Human Right Defenders Network and are continually inspired by their resilience, determination, and vision for a more equitable future.
