DTP E-Newsletter 217

DIPLOMACY TRAINING PROGRAM

Building the capacity of Asia-Pacific
Human Rights Movements since 1990

In our continuing focus on Digital Rights we provide a link to the Global Digital Compact adopted by the UN in 2024. Linked to the Sustainable Development Goals, “it is anchored in international law, including international human rights law. All human rights, including civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, and fundamental freedoms, must be respected, protected and promoted online and offline. Our cooperation will harness digital technologies to advance all human rights, including the rights of the child, the rights of persons with disabilities and the right to development”. READ THE COMPACT

In this issue, we profile Fijian alumnus Bulu Mataitawakilai, who works on sustainable development and women's rights in Fiji. We provide information about DTP's programs, reports on recent programs and news from alumni, partners and the region, and calls from the UN for your engagement – and new resources – including DTP’s new resource on Human Rights Defenders Guidelines.

DTP is asking for your support to help us build the capacity of individuals and movements who defend human rights, democracy, the environment and peace. Please donate here if you can. Investing in human rights movements has never been more important.

DTP Webinars

WEBINAR SERIES – UNDERSTANDING GENOCIDE, UN HUMAN RIGHTS ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISMS, THE MAGNITSKY ACT in AUSTRALIA in partnership with STARTTS. The first webinar in the Magnitsky Act series - Understanding the Magnitsky Act: Origins, Provisions, and Global Impact with Sir Bill Browder and Vadim Kleiner and moderated by Anton Moiseienko, 6:30pm AEST 21 May. REGISTER HERE

WEBINAR SERIES - UN Human Rights Accountability Mechanisms Three webinars are now available. The Treaty Bodies with Professor Chinsung Chung and Darren Dick WATCH THE WEBINAR The Universal Periodic Review with Joshua Cooper and Oliver Ray WATCH THE WEBINAR and The Special Procedures with Clement Voule and Professor Ben Saul WATCH THE WEBINAR

WEBINAR SERIES - three webinars on Genocide and the Genocide Convention are available CLICK HERE

WEBINAR - UN DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES (UNDRIP) in partnership with Oxfam Australia. Three webinars on UNDRIP and its implementation are available. Implementing and Enhancing the Right to Self-Determination with Les Malezer, Founding Chairperson of FAIRA and Monica Morgan. WATCH THE WEBINAR Implementing UNDRIP in Australia with Dr Albert K. Barume, The UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Les Malezer and Ngarra Murray, Co-Chair of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria WATCH HERE UNDRIP and the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues with Professor Claire Charters and Les Malezer WATCH HERE

THE OECD GUIDELINES ON RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS CONDUCT AND THE NATIONAL CONTACT POINTS (NCP): AN INTRODUCTION TO THE AUSTRALIAN NCP WEBINAR: See the first in a new series of webinars to build awareness of the OECD Guidelines and the role of NCPs, featuring speakers Laura Llewellyn (Director, AusNCP), John Southalan (Independent Examiner, AusNCP) and DTP alumnus Pillkyu Hwang. WATCH THE WEBINAR

DTP Programs

HUMAN RIGHTS, CLIMATE CHANGE AND BUSINESS IN THE PACIFIC: in partnership with PIANGO, Fiji Council of Social Services and OHCHR-PRO, 23-27 June, Fiji. A regional capacity building program for human rights and climate advocates and civil society organisations following 2024 consultation workshop. Applications close 9 May READ MORE

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. Shortlisting of over 170 applicants is in progress READ MORE

BREAKING BARRIERS AND BUILDING BELONGING SYMPOSIUM in partnership with CORE Community Services Sydney, 14 March 2025. DTP joined advocates, thought leaders and community members for a day's symposium marking IDERD and the 50th anniversary of the Racial Discrimination Act to explore the ongoing fight to eradicate racism. READ MORE

BUILDING RESILIENCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY MOVEMENTS - SHARING LESSONS AND BUILDING COLLABORATIONS IN CAPACITY BUILDING: POSTPONED. DTP and partners are hosting a Workshop to reflect and share the lessons from capacity building on advocacy for human rights. The workshop aims to develop collaboration on human rights and democracy capacity building in response to the closing civil society spaces and rise in authoritarianism. READ THE CONCEPT NOTE

CONSULTATION WORKSHOP FOR CLIMATE CHANGE, HUMAN RIGHTS AND BUSINESS, PACIFIC PROGRAM in partnership with CCF, PIANGO and OHCHR-ROP: 25-27 June, 2024 17 Pacific CSOs and experts participated in a consultation workshop to develop a new capacity building strategy on human rights, climate change and business in the Pacific. READ THE REPORT

Cover of DTP's 2024 Annual report. Credit: DTP

DTP 2024 Annual Report

DTP's 2024 Annual Report is now available. In 2024, working with alumni and partners, DTP delivered an impressive range of face-to-face and online programs. Its 14 programs held in 6 countries included 269 participants (about 50% women) from 23 countries. The Annual Report details its activity throughout the year and highlights the stories of some of its alumni and trainers and the human rights issues they work on.

Child Rights Webinar Series

24 webinars on the Convention on the Rights of the Child are available here. Each webinar features leading child’s rights experts, practitioners and young people exploring the challenges in realising children’s rights in practices.

Alumni Profile

Sara Bulutani Mataitawakilai

Sara Bulutani Mataitawakilai (Bulu) is a seasoned Indigenous Fijian community development practitioner, community leader, and traditional knowledge advocate. He is an adviser to a local Indigenous womens’ NGO called the Na I Soqosoqo Vakamarama I Taukei Cakaudrove in Cakaudrove Province Province, on Vanua Levu, Fiji. He is also the Local Project Coordinator & Community Liaison Officer for the NaVualiku Project at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation. Based in Vanua Levu, this $200 million World Bank-funded project supports sustainable tourism, ecotourism, and infrastructure development for Vanua Levu.

"[The training] had a lasting impact on me. It helped build my capacity as a CEO of a leading human rights and good governance NGO in Fiji. It helped me not just professionally—but as a person, as a leader. It reshaped how I viewed leadership, especially through the lens of good governance."

DTP Alumni in Action

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].

INDONESIA

Imam Shofwan shares petition (click button at top right of website for English) calling on banks to cease funding the nickel company, Harita Group, responsible for land grabs and massive ecological destruction.

Photo of Hubertson Tom Wilson. Credit: Hubertson Tom Wilson

INDIA

T. Hubertson of Tamil Nadu continues his work on behalf of Indian migrant workers in Saudi Arabia and Qatar – including the challenging work of finding those who vanish into their prison systems, and advocating for those who are sentenced to death.

Karath Mal Waka under a tree. Credit: Karath Mal Waka/Facebook

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Karath Mal Waka shares his submission to the Consultative Information And Monitoring Council on behalf of the Human Rights Inter Pacific Association, on human rights problems in Enga Province in the Southern Highlands, calling for greater surveillance and the splitting in two of the province.

Participants at the National Workshop on the Indigenous Navigator Climate Change Survey. Credit: Shohel Hajang

INDONESIA / WEST PAPUA

Agustinus Mahuze shares an account of the celebration of Earth Day in Wasur village bringing together local communities, Indigenous groups and NGOs, in a tree-planting ceremony symbolic of action for a sustainable earth.

Photo of Joshua Cooper and Jimrex Calatan. Credit: Jimrex Calatan

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES RIGHTS

DTP alumni and trainers were well represented at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Jimrex "Mitch" Calatan shared their meet up with Joshua Cooper.

Photo of Yuyun Wahyuningrum. Credit: Yuyun Wahyuningrum

ASIA / AFRICA

Yuyun Wahyuningrum shares her article reflecting on the 70th anniversary of the 1955 Asia-Africa Conference and the Bandung Spirit and fight for human rights today.

Photo of Tual Sawn Khai. Credit: Tual Sawn Khai

MYANMAR

Tual Sawn Khai shares his latest article exploring the resulting migration patterns and precarious situation of Myanmar nationals seeking refuge in Thailand.

MIGRANT WORKERS

Rejimon Kuttappan shares his opinion piece on Pope Francis and his defence of migrant workers following the Pontiff's death.

Photo of Sutharee Wannasiri. Credit: Sutharee Wannasiri

NEPAL

Sutharee Wannasiri shares new report from Accountability Counsel and Lawyers’ Association for Human Rights of Nepalese Indigenous Peoples exposing critical violations of the rights of Indigenous Peoples to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) in four hydropower projects in Nepal financed by Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs).

SOUTH EAST ASIA

Yuyun Wahyuningrum shares her recent opinion piece on pluralism and religious freedom in South East Asia.

Photo of Yuyun Wahyuningrum. Credit: DTP

Partner News

Photo of Lu Siwei in front of a river with mountain in the background. Credit: FORUM-ASIA

FORUM-ASIA calls for the immediate release of Chinese human rights lawyer Lu Siwei, convicted of “illegally crossing borders” following his refoulement from Laos after his attempt to rejoin his family in the US READ MORE

ASIA INDIGENOUS PEOPLES PACT shares their statements from the 2025 UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, "Implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples within United Nations Member States and the United Nations system, including identifying good practices and addressing challenges". READ MORE

ASIA INDIGENOUS PEOPLES PACT Indigenous Women Program (IWP) and the Network of Indigenous Women in Asia (NIWA) share their brief version of CEDAW General Recommendation No. 39 (2022) on the rights of Indigenous women and girls READ MORE

News from the Region

Cover of NUG report False Peace: How Myanmar's Military Weaponizes Peacebuilding for Power, not for People. Credit: NUG/Facebook

MYANMAR National Unity Government publishes new report, False Peace: How Myanmar’s Military Weaponizes Peacebuilding For Power, Not for People READ THE REPORT

PHILIPPINES The Asian Network for Free Elections launches International Election Observation Mission for the 2025 Philippine National and Local Elections, scheduled for 12 May 2025 READ MORE

KASHMIR/INDIA/PAKISTAN The killing of 26 tourists by three unidentified gunmen has resulted with cross-border exchanges of fire between Indian and Pakistan militaries, and an increase of tensions between the two countries READ MORE

GLOBAL Amnesty International released its annual report on the state of human rights in 150 countries, stating the immediate ramifications of Trump’s second term had been the undermining of decades of progress and the emboldening of authoritarian leaders READ MORE

UN News and Calls to Contribute

Aluki Kotierk (left), elected Chair of the 24th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, takes over from Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Chair of 23rd Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, during the opening of the 24th Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (21 April – 2 May). The theme of the 24th Session is "Implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples within United Nations Member States and the United Nations system, including identifying good practices and addressing challenges". Credit: UN Photo/Loey Felipe

OHCHR webinar “Civil society and NHRIs engagement with the Committee on Enforced Disappearances”, 12 May REGISTER HERE

OHCHR calls for submission to inform the High Commissioner’s report on challenges and risks with regard to discrimination and unequal enjoyment of the right to privacy associated with the collection and processing of data, deadline 28 May READ MORE

The NGO Branch at UN DESA invites eligible NGOs to apply for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, deadline 1 June READ MORE

OHCHR calls for submissions from children by the open-ended intergovernmental working group on an optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child recognising that the right to education includes early childhood care and education, and that it should be available free, deadline 8 June READ MORE

OHCHR calls for input on report on best practices and challenges facing local government and states in promoting and protecting human rights, deadline 30 June READ MORE

Resources

DTP's new Human Rights Defenders Guidelines page provides links to some of these Guidelines from around the world and to useful resources on for human rights defenders READ MORE

The Right to Defend Rights Tool, created by the Danish Institute for Human Rights, helps National Human Rights Institutions assess national conditions for HRDs by gathering and analysing data READ MORE

Building Human Rights Communities: A Guide to Human Rights Community-Led Development for NHRIs READ MORE

New resource from Accountability Counsel and Lawyers Association for Human Rights of Nepalese Indigenous Peoples guides Indigenous communities defending their rights in Nepal to address the violations of Free, Prior and Informed Consent READ MORE

Please donate

DTP relies on donations to provide quality training to human rights defenders so that they can promote and protect human rights effectively in their societies. Please help if you can and donate here. Donations over $2 are tax-deductible.

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We want to hear from you

One of DTP's strengths is you, our alumni and networks. If you have news, opinion pieces, resources or examples of best practice to share, or have questions on human rights, please send them to us at [email protected]. Please stay safe.

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https://dtp.org.au/

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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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