In this issue we begin a new series on the human rights and environmental impacts of corporate and government practices on the seas and oceans in the Asia Pacific region. In the first in the series, we link to an article “Deep-Sea Danger: How The Metals Company Threatens Indigenous and Coastal Communities in Asia and the Pacific” by Prabindra Shakya and Johnson Jament for the Cultural Survival web site. In it they document how Indigenous Peoples’ rights over their customary marine use areas and resources, as well as the coastal waters and the ocean, remain unrecognized and not respected. READ MORE

We also profile DTP alumnus Prakash Khadka, a dedicated human rights advocate and founder of Peace Himalaya, provide information about DTP's programs and upcoming webinars, share reports on recent programs and news from alumni, partners and the region, and calls from the UN for your engagement.  DTP's 3rd webinar on Indonesia's Food Estate in Meruake and Its Impacts: Indonesia's Climate Bomb, featuring Komnas HAM Commissioner Saurlin P Siagian and Indigenous people's rights advocate and DTP alumna Dina Maria Danomira is now available to view WATCH THE WEBINAR

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. READ MORE

CAPACITY BUILDING ON BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS, HUMAN RIGHTS DUE DILIGENCE AND THE OECD GUIDELINES: Bogor/Jakarta, Indonesia, new dates – 8-12 May, 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 closed 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. Over 1000 EOIs and over 260 applications received. 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: Australia - 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 scheduled. 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 Commissioner Saurlin P Siagian and Indigenous peoples rights advocate and DTP alumna Dina Maria Danomira. 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].

INDIA The Institute for Human Rights and Business shares report on the AI Impact Summit held in Delhi, pointing to the lack of discussion of the human rights, social justice and worker protection impacts of AI, including on migrant workers, low-income labourers, and marginalised communities READ MORE

Business and Human Rights Centre publishes report “Abuse without borders: migrant workers’ rights global analysis 2026”, recording 747 alleged cases of abuse of migrant workers READ MORE

FORUM-ASIA publishes short video celebrating the courage, resilience, and humanity of women human rights defenders everywhere on International Women's Day WATCH HERE

BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS CENTRE shares Justice For Myanmar calls on the EU, UK, Canadian, US and Australian governments to immediately impose new targeted and coordinated sanctions against vessels and companies involved in the junta’s aviation fuel supply chain and ensure aviation fuel exports to Myanmar are banned READ MORE

Call for Inputs: OHCHR report on equal participation in political and public affairs READ MORE

OHCHR Call for inputs on intimidation and reprisals for the annual report of the Secretary-General, deadline 15 April READ MORE

OHCHR: Call for input for the Online Survey on “Civil Society Space”, deadline 20 March READ MORE

UN Secretary-General calls for inputs for his report on a moratorium on the use of the death penalty, deadline 27 March READ MORE

UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee calls for inputs for the study on the implications of sea-level rise for the full enjoyment of human rights, deadline 30 April READ MORE

UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee calls for input for the study on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the right to health of individuals in vulnerable situations, deadline 30 April READ MORE

ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights: "AI and Human Rights: Model Legislation for Southeast Asian Lawmakers and Civil Society” READ MORE

UN Women publishes “International Women’s Day 2026: Rights. Justice. Action.” Includes suggestions for action READ MORE

Women in Migration Network and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung new report: Spotlight Report on Global Migration 2026 READ MORE

DTP Secretariat invited Josef Benedict of Civicus Monitor to discuss the 2025 People Power Under Attack report and the state of civic freedoms in the Asia-Pacific Region READ MORE

DTP Secretariat hosted a roundtable discussion at UNSW Law School with NGOs, academics and activists to discuss the priority needs for capacity building in the Pacific 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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