Continuing this year’s series on human rights and digital rights, we provide a link to a UN document, the “Berkeley Protocol: A Practical Guide on the Effective Use of Digital Open Source Information in Investigating Violations of International Criminal, Human Rights and Humanitarian Law”. It includes easy forms covering online investigation, digital threat and risk assessment, digital landscape assessment, online data collection and considerations for validating new tools READ THE PROTOCOL

In this issue, as many DTP alumni participated in COP3, we share the latest from our Pacific Voices on Climate Change Program. We profile Anna Takluem, a Myanmar refugee working with the Chin community in Australia, whose story is inspiring. We 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].

PACIFIC ISLANDS ASSOCIATION OF NGOS MEL Officer, Melaia Kubuabola and representatives from their National Liaison Units (NLU) from Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, and Solomon Islands are part of DTP's Australia Awards Fellowship Pacific Voices for Climate Change READ MORE

BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS RESOURCE CENTRE The Business and Human Rights Award Foundation has awarded its 2025 Human Rights and Business award to the Lawyers’ Association for Human Rights of Nepalese Indigenous Peoples (LAHURNIP) working with grassroots Indigenous communities in Nepal to defend their human rights, and to seek justice and remedies for those harmed by corporate and government activities READ MORE

CIVICUS publishes a brief on the shortcomings in ensuring civic space in Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu where freedom of association, expression and peaceful assembly are all under threat READ THE BRIEF

ASIA INDIGENOUS PEOPLES PACT Chair Beverly Longid calls for real recognition of Indigenous Peoples as rights-holders, not stakeholders—through strong FPIC, land rights protection, Indigenous participation in climate and business decisions, and accountability for harms at 2025 United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights READ MORE

UNICEF’s new report “The State of the World's Children 2025” shows that the number of children facing severe deprivation - lack of access to adequate housing, clean water, education, health care and sanitation - has decreased by a third since 2000 - but two in five still live without the essentials needed to survive and thrive READ MORE

World Health Organization report released on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls reveals that almost one in three women worldwide have experienced sexual or intimate partner violence with only 0.2% of global aid going to prevention READ MORE

ASEAN UN Special Procedures communications show that at least 150 defenders, dissidents, members of marginalised groups, and family members have been targeted by violence, refoulement, legal harassment, and intimidation in cases linked to China and several Southeast Asian States READ MORE

Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls calls for input to the report on violence against women and girls to the 62nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council on Violence against mothers, deadline 6 February 2026 READ MORE

Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions calls for input on the death penalty from the perspective of the prohibition against torture and other forms of ill-treatment and the protection of human dignity, deadline 28 February 2026 READ MORE

Children's Right to Participation in Practice, online Summer Law School workshop from Southern Cross University Law School, 28 January 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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