A coalition of regional and Fijian civil society organisations has warned that proposed constitutional amendments put forward by the Bose Levu Vakaturaga (Great Council of Chiefs) risk rolling back hard-won rights and undermining social cohesion in Fiji. In a joint statement, groups including DIVA for Equality, the Pacific Sexual and Gender Diversity Network and ILGA Oceania said the proposals—now before the Constitution Review Commission—pose a direct threat to justice, equity and democratic governance.
The statement singled out several specific proposals it said were especially worrying: removing constitutional protections based on gender and sexual orientation; redefining who qualifies as “Fijian”; and repealing Fiji’s secular status. The coalition said these changes would weaken legal safeguards for women, girls and LGBTQI+ people, and could reverse “decades of progress toward a shared national identity.”
“Any such proposed changes to the Constitution directly threaten justice, equity, social cohesion, and democratic governance in Fiji,” the statement said, while acknowledging the historic role of the Bose Levu Vakaturaga and urging the institution to “create pathways for communication and peacebuilding” across all communities. The organisations stressed that constitutional protections for marginalised groups are essential to ensuring “fairness, dignity, and justice.”
Beyond rights protections, the coalition defended Fiji’s secular framework, saying it ensures equal treatment under the law “regardless of belief.” It also warned that redefining the term “Fijian” risks entrenching exclusionary identities at a time when the nation has worked to build an inclusive sense of belonging. On governance, the groups called for reforms that would uphold democratic principles, explicitly naming equitable suffrage, separation of powers, accountability, transparency and the rule of law as core requirements.
The civil society intervention comes amid wider public debate about constitutional reform. Legal challenges and parliamentary debates over the scope and process for amending Fiji’s constitution have been reported previously, underscoring why civil society actors say any change should be subject to broad consultation and legal safeguards. The coalition urged an “open, inclusive and evidence-based national dialogue” on any proposed amendments, rather than moves that they say could be exclusionary or rushed.
The organisations also said national attention should remain focused on pressing socioeconomic and public health challenges—citing climate change, rising fuel costs, poverty and the HIV crisis—and argued that constitutional reform must not divert energy from these priorities. The joint statement did not specify further legal steps, nor did it include responses from government officials or the Bose Levu Vakaturaga, but it signals coordinated regional scrutiny of proposals now being considered by the Constitution Review Commission.
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