In the first of the 2025 series on Digital Rights we provide a link to a webpage of the sustainable energy company Iberdola, which provide a definition of digital rights and links them to the rights set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. READ MORE

We congratulate DTP Board Member and Trainer, Philip Chung who was recognised and honoured as a new Member of the Order of Australia (AM) by the Australian government for his services to legal education, especially his role in leading the Australian Legal Information Institute – a leader in law and technology.  

In this issue, we profile alumnus Dhananjaya Tilakaratne, provide information about DTP's programs, including new webinar series, next year's Annual Human Rights and Peoples' Diplomacy Program in Timor-Leste, reports on recent programs and news from alumni, partners and the region, and calls from the UN for your engagement.

THE OECD GUIDELINES ON RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS CONDUCT AND THE NATIONAL CONTACT POINTS (NCP): AN INTRODUCTION TO THE AUSTRALIAN NCP WEBINAR: 20 February, 3.00pm AEDT. The first in a new series of webinars to build awareness of the work of the OECD Guidelines and NCPs, featuring speakers Laura Llewellyn (Director, AusNCP), John Southalan (Independent Examiner, AusNCP) and DTP alumnus Pillkyu Hwang. REGISTER HERE It follows last years regional DTP BHR alumni workshop (see below).

33rd ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND PEOPLES' DIPLOMACY TRAINING PROGRAM: Timor-Leste, August 25 - September 5, 2025 - at the invitation of President José Ramos-Horta and in partnership with Global Campus of Human Rights, Justice System Monitoring Project and Human Rights Centre, UNTL – AIPP, FORUM-ASIA, PIANGO and MFA. Applications close 31 March 2025. READ MORE

DTP BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS ALUMNI NETWORK WORKSHOP: 12-14 December 2024, Bangkok. DTP and partners held a three-day workshop with 23 alumni from 9 countries in Bangkok, Thailand focused on BHR capacity building needs and regional BHR networking. READ THE PROGRAM REPORT

MIGRATION AND BHR TRAINING AND ADVOCACY WORKSHOP: 11 December, 2024, Bangkok. DTP/MFA alumni and representatives held a half-day workshop focused on BHR and migration reflecting on over 20 years of DTP/MFA collaboration on capacity building. READ MORE

BUILDING SOCIAL INCLUSION, HUMAN RIGHTS AND GENDER EQUALITY IN MYANMAR: 11-29 November, Australia in partnership with Lawkapala Foundation. 16 participants from NUG, Ethnic Nationalities and civil society spent three weeks together, engaging with Australian institutions, NGOs and Myanmar diaspora communities and strategizing for an inclusive, democratic Myanmar. READ THE DRAFT PROGRAM REPORT

AUSTRALIAN AND ASEAN CIVIL SOCIETY EXCHANGE ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND MODERN SLAVERY IN THE FISHING INDUSTRY: 10 October - 7 November in partnership with MFA: 14 participants from Australia, Indonesia and Thailand CSOs were involved in online discussions focusing on how Australian, Indonesian and Thai CSOs can collaborate to address trafficking and slavery in regional fishing supply chains connected to Australian retailers and consumers. READ THE REPORT

CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE PACIFIC: SHARING KNOWLEDGE, LISTENING AND STRENGTHENING PACIFIC VOICES: May 2025, Australia. 15 Fellows from the Pacific Islands to participate in a program to increase the impact and influence of Pacific voices calling for more ambitious action on climate change. More information to follow.

NEW WEBINAR SERIES – UNDERSTANDING GENOCIDE, UN ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISMS, THE MAGNITSKY ACT in AUSTRALIA. This series organised with in partnership with STARTTS will resume in March. The first webinar in the Genocide series is available here. The concept note for the series is available here. DTP is working with its alumni and partners on more series of webinars on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Digital Rights and Deep Sea Mining. To express interest and/or suggest webinar topics, please contact [email protected]

For information about our alumni, click here. If you want to get in contact with any of DTP's alumni, please contact the office at [email protected].

Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development calls for input on thematic study on "Climate Justice, Sustainability, and the Right to Development", deadline 20 February READ MORE

Special Rapporteur on minority issues calls for inputs on “What are Minority Issues”, deadline 28 February READ MORE

Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons calls for input on the report on the right to social protection and the right to work of older persons, deadline 7 March READ MORE

Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights calls for submissions on “A Roadmap for Eradicating Poverty Beyond Growth”, deadline 30 March READ MORE

Group of Independent Eminent Experts on the Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action calls for written contributions on the Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, deadline 31 March READ MORE

DTP acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we work, the Bedegal people of the Eora Nation. We recognise their lands were never ceded, and we acknowledge their struggles for recognition and rights and pay our respects to the Elders – past, present – and the youth who are working towards a brighter tomorrow. This continent always was and always will be Aboriginal land.

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