The International Commission of Jurists hosted a seminar to celebrate 50 years of its involvement in human rights in Timor-Leste. With an opening address by DTP founder and President of Timor-Leste,  His Excellency José Ramos Horta, appearing via video link, former and current ICJ office holders described the organisation’s actions at the UN Decolonisation Committee, following the Santa Cruz massacre, the coronial inquiry into the killings by Indonesian forces of six Australian journalists, and election monitoring at the independence vote.

In this edition, we profile DTP alumna Noha Roukoss who has over 25 years' experience working for the rights of vulnerable migrant domestic workers in Lebanon, we provide information about DTP's programs and webinars, and share news from alumni, partners and the region, and calls from the UN for your engagement.

HUMAN RIGHTS, CLIMATE CHANGE AND BUSINESS IN THE PACIFIC:  Suva, Fiji, 23-27 March, 2026 in partnership with PIANGO, FCOSS and OHCHR-PRO. We are now selecting participants from over 90 applications.  Trainers on the program will include Professor Surya Deva, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development. Applications closed 16 February READ MORE

CAPACITY BUILDING ON BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS, HUMAN RIGHTS DUE DILIGENCE AND THE OECD GUIDELINES: Bogor/Jakarta, Indonesia, 13-17 April, 2026 in partnership with INFID. This program is for Indonesian NGOs and human rights and environmental defenders as Indonesia accedes to the OECD and develops its complaints process on Responsible Business Conduct. Applications close 1 March. READ MORE

34th ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND PEOPLES' DIPLOMACY TRAINING PROGRAM: Timor-Leste, August 23 - September 6, 2026 - 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. Applications close 31 March READ MORE

HUMAN RIGHTS DAY WORKSHOP ON ENGAGING WITH UN ANTI-TORTURE MECHANISMS: Sydney, Australia, 10 December, in partnership with STARTTS and the Whitlam Institute. Nineteen refugee and migrant community leaders participated in a capacity-building workshop lead by Steven Caruana on Human Rights day. Report to follow. 

PACIFIC VOICES FOR CLIMATE CHANGE: Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, November 12 - December 3, 2025 in partnership with PIANGO. 15 climate advocates from seven Pacific countries participated in this intense knowledge exchange and capacity building program. They met with academics, climate experts, parliamentarians, government officials and civil society. Australia's Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon Matt Thistlethwaite MP was special guest speaker at the Closing Reception hosted by DTP’s Chair, Michael do Rozario at Corrs Chambers Westgarth. The program was funded by DFAT’s Australia Awards Fellowships Program. WATCH DEBRIEF VIDEO FROM VANUATU FELLOWS and READ DRAFT REPORT HERE.

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 panellists. Workshop report to follow. DTP is planning a regional workshop on this theme with partners/alumni and experts for Bangkok in May/June. More to come.

33rd ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND PEOPLING PROGRAMMES' 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. READ THE PROGRAM REPORT See program highlights short video VIEW HERE

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 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). Two more webinars in this series are being schedule. 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

3^rd webinar: Indonesia’s Food Estate in Merauke and Its Impacts: Indonesia's Climate Bomb, 26 February, featured Komnas HAM Commissoner Siaurlin P Siagian and Indigenous peoples rights advocate and DTP alumna Dina Maria Danomira.  LINK TO FOLLOW

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].

INDIA BUSNESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS CENTRE shares the Guwahati Declaration signed by Indigenous organizations from northeast India on the impacts of hydropower projects that could lead to the displacement of many Indigenous peoples READ MORE

PIANGO calls for Voluntary National Reviews by Pacific Islands states to take account of the structural gaps in global financing that should be managed transparently and accountability to reduce inequality and improve lives READ MORE

OHCHR calls for inputs to the report on terrorism and human rights, deadline 20 March READ MORE

OHCHR calls for input: Online Survey on “Civil Society Space”, deadline 06 March READ MORE

Human Rights Council - 9 March, Annual Day on the Rights of the Child: The Rights of the Child and Violations of Children’s Human Rights in Armed Conflict READ MORE

OHCHR calls for inputs on combating intolerance against persons based on religion or belief, deadline 20 April READ MORE

Progressive Voice publication “The Annual Report: Digital Rights in Southeast Asia 2025” covers three main areas: Control of Information, Platform Accountability, and Digital Security, in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. READ MORE

Human Rights Watch Annual Report 2025, covering human rights around the world in 2024 READ MORE

Manushya Foundation RightsCon 2026 will focus on how the UN Cybersecurity Treaty empowers transnational repression in Southeast Asia, May 5-6 READ MORE

The United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture 2027 call for applications, deadline for submission of applications is 1st March 2026 READ MORE

The United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery 2027 call for applications, deadline for submission of applications is 1st March 2026 READ MORE

OHCHR Call for Applications to the Special Fund of the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture, deadline 1 March (eligible nationality includes Australia, Maldives, Mongolia, New Zealand) READ MORE

The Lighthouse Global Protection Fund delivers emergency assistance to human rights defenders and civil society organisations operating in high-risk environments worldwide.  Grants are available to eligible groups 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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