Continuing this year’s series on human rights and digital rights, we provide a link to the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law, the first international legally binding treaty in the field. READ MORE

In this issue, we highlight the launch of our Pacific Voices on Climate Change Program, as many DTP alumni travel to Belém, Brazil to participate in COP30, and press for urgent action on the climate crisis. We profile Ko Ko Aung, a lawyer and human rights advocate from Myanmar, provide information about DTP's programs and recent webinars, share reports on recent programs and news from alumni, partners and the region, and calls from the UN for your engagement. 

BUILDING RESILIENCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY THROUGH CAPACITY BUILDING: Bangkok, Thailand, November 4, 2025. DTP ran a workshop that attracted over 50 participants as part of the International Civil Society Week/Asia Democracy Assembly/Asia-Pacific Social Forum in Bangkok. DTP alumni were well represented in these regional forums, as participants and panelists. Workshop report to follow.

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 with AIPP, FORUM-ASIA, PIANGO and MFA concluded on 5th September. 31 participants from 13 countries. Trainers included President Ramos-Horta, Professor Lucas Lixinski, Mike Hayes, Nelson Santos, Yuyun Wahyuningrum, Arul Prakkash, Fritzie Rodriguez, Joshua Cooper and more. READ THE PROGRAM REPORT

See nice short video about DTP's Annual Program in Timor-Leste VIEW HERE

WORKSHOP ON ENGAGING WITH UN ANTI-TORTURE MECHANISMS: Sydney, Australia, 10 December, in partnership with STARTTS and the Whitlam Institute. A capacity building workshop for community leaders and members of diaspora communities on Human Rights day, by invitation only. 

REGIONAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS EXCHANGE - LEARNING AND TRAINING 2025: Baguio, Philippines, August 15-20. DTP partnered with AIPP and IWGIA for the Asia IPHRD Exchange held in Baguio with local hosts and partners, Katribu and Cordillera Peoples Alliance. The program brought together IPHRDs from 8 countries. Participants shared experiences, changing contexts and strategies. Program content focused on digital security for HRDs, human rights defenders guidelines and engaging with diplomatic missions. This is the third year DTP has partnered with AIPP and IWGIA as AIPP builds its regional IPHRD network. Report to follow.

HUMAN RIGHTS, CLIMATE CHANGE AND BUSINESS IN THE PACIFIC: Suva, Fiji, 23-27 June 2025 in partnership with PIANGO, Fiji Council of Social Services and OHCHR-PRO. 25 Pacific human rights and climate change advocates gathered together for the new program focusing on Human Rights, Climate Change and Business in the Pacific. READ MORE

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, HUMAN RIGHTS AND BUSINESS: Chiang Mai, Thailand 9-13 June in partnership with Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP). 23 participants from 7 countries, and six DTP alumni returning as trainers. AIPP Secretary General led the session on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Self-Determination. There was a focus on the OECD Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct with Serena Lillywhite AM. READ MORE

HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER (HRD) GUIDELINES: A DTP AND FRONT LINE DEFENDERS WEBINAR SERIES - WEBINAR 1: WHAT ARE HRD GUIDELINES?, The first webinar features Domenica Bumma (European External Action Service) and DTP alumnus Sayeed Ahmad (FLD). WATCH THE WEBINAR

BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS: THE OECD GUIDELINES ON RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS CONDUCT AND THE NATIONAL CONTACT POINTS (NCP) WEBINAR SERIES The 3rd webinar focused on companies responsibility to respect Indigenous Peoples’ Right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and the role of the Australian NCP, featuring speakers John Southalan (Independent Examiner, AusNCP), and DTP alumni Frederic Wilson (AIPP) and Abbey Shillingford (Genesis Minerals). WATCH THE WEBINAR

2nd OECD webinar: Promoting Human Rights through the Supply Chain, featuring speakers John Southalan, Laura McManus (Director, Commonwealth Anti-Slavery Commissioner’s Office) and DTP alumna Sumitha Shaanthinni Kishna. WATCH THE WEBINAR

1st OECD webinar: An Introduction to the Australian NCP, featuring speakers Laura Llewellyn (Director, AusNCP), John Southalan and DTP alumnus Pillkyu Hwang. WATCH THE WEBINAR 

INDONESIAN ALUMNI WEBINAR SERIES: HUMAN RIGHTS, CLIMATE CHANGE, BUSINESS AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES: INDONESIA'S FOOD ESTATE IN WEST PAPUA AND ITS IMPACTS This series of three webinars highlights the impacts of Indonesia’s Food Estates in Merauke, West Papua, Indonesia.

1st webinar: Food Estate in West Papua and the Impact on the Community, featured Laksmi A. Savitri, Ph.D and Dr. Budi Hernawan and was moderated by alumnus Eko Waluyo WATCH THE WEBINAR

2nd webinar: Indonesia’s Food Estate in West Papua: Impacts on the Communities and Climate, featured Dorthea Wabiser (Pusaka) and Grant Rosoman (Greenpeace International) and was moderated by alumnus Eko Waluyo WATCH THE WEBINAR

WEBINAR SERIES - HUMAN RIGHTS, DIGITAL RIGHTS AND AI An Introduction to Governing Digital Rights and Children's Online Rights

WEBINAR SERIES – Ending Impunity for Violators of Human Rights - The Magnitsky Acts and Australia in partnership with STARTTS. WATCH HERE 

HUMAN RIGHTS WEBINAR SERIES - UN Human Rights Accountability Mechanisms in partnership with STARTTS. WATCH HERE

GENOCIDE WEBINAR SERIES - three webinars on Genocide and the Genocide Convention in partnership with STARTTS. WATCH HERE

UN DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES (UNDRIP) WEBINAR SERIES NOW AVAILABLE HERE.

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].

ASIA INDIGENOUS PEOPLES PACT is taking the Tano Batak Declaration to COP 30 in Belém, Brazil. 157 Indigenous Peoples including 128 women, 51 youth, and 2 Indigenous Women with Disabilities contributed to the Declaration demanding that not only inclusion but transformation in the space READ MORE

FORUM-ASIA shares a video of youth attending a parallel civil society gathering at the ASEAN Summit, expressing their views on improving ASEAN with respect to human rights and democratic representation VIEW HERE

PACIFIC ISLANDS ASSOCIATION OF NGOS delivered a series of strong interventions at the 9th Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (PFSD), calling for a fundamental course correction in how development is financed, planned, and implemented across the Pacific, including radical localisation of SDGs and direct financing to community 'roots' READ MORE

BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS RESOURCE CENTRE shares news of protest by Bangladeshi migrant workers who despite paying recruitment fees are facing deportation after protesting non-payment of wages and abusive working conditions by glove company supplier READ MORE

MIGRANT FORUM IN ASIA share their statement on the Overseas Mobility (Facilitation and Welfare) Bill, 2025, seeing it as a bill of missed opportunities  READ MORE

OHCHR PACIFIC REGIONAL OFFICE through the Pacific Climate Change and Human Security (PCCMHS) Programme Phase II is organising a Regional Workshop on Human Rights and Climate Mobility, to be held from 2–4 December 2025 in Nadi, Fiji READ THE CONCEPT NOTE

UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights calls on businesses to take stronger action to address systemic human rights risks faced by migrant workers and to abide by the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights READ MORE

The UN Human Rights Committee has been forced to cancel the third annual session of the Committee and postpone it to March 2026 owing to the financial crisis which has also had an impact on the preparation of State reports and individual communications READ MORE

UPR: The deadline for stakeholders to submit their contributions for Papua New Guinea and Thailand to be reviewed at the 53^rd WG session scheduled on 2-13 November 2026 is 10 April 2026 READ MORE

At the Second World Summit for Social Development in Qatar on Tuesday, the president of the UN General Assembly, Annalena Baerbock, announced the adoption of the Doha Political Declaration to fight deepening global inequality READ MORE

UN Human Rights funding crisis: New International Service for Human Rights report reveals how governments work behind the scenes to defund the UN’s human rights work READ MORE

Official launch: ASEAN Guidelines for Addressing Child and Forced Marriage within the Context of Trafficking in Persons, 25 November REGISTER HERE

UN Regional Network for Asia and the Pacific online Cross-Regional Stakeholder Consultation on the Asia-Arab Region Migration Corridor, in preparation for the Second International Migration Review Forum 2026, 16 December REGISTER HERE

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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