Continuing our series on the human rights and environmental impacts of corporate and government practices on the seas and oceans in the Asia Pacific region, we provide a link to a statement by UN experts, “Ocean governance must be grounded in international law”. In this document the experts urge States to ensure that any new regulations governing the deep seabed, including a code on mining, are firmly grounded in international law, including international human rights law. READ MORE

In this issue, we highlight DTP’s just completed 2026 Human Rights, Climate Change and Business program in Suva, Fiji, in partnership with FCOSS, PIANGO and OHCHR.   The program, timed to contribute to preparations for the Pacific PreCOP31, included a special screening of the film “Pig Feast - Colonialism in our Time” about the world’s biggest deforestation now taking place in Merauke, Papua, Indonesia, by DTP trainer Dandhy Laksono and DTP alumnus Victor Mambor, profiled in this issue. 

We also 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. 

HUMAN RIGHTS, CLIMATE CHANGE AND BUSINESS IN THE PACIFIC:  Suva, Fiji, 23-27 March, 2026 in partnership with PIANGO, FCOSS and OHCHR-PRO. The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development, Professor Surya Deva, was the lead trainer on the program which included 23 participants from 10 countries, including DTP’s first participants from Palau and Niue. The program was opened by the Honourable Filimoni Vosarogo, Fiji’s Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources, Regional Pacific Representative of the OHCHR Heike Alefsen, and Emeline Siale Ilolahia, Executive Director of PIANGO. READ MORE

CAPACITY BUILDING ON BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS, HUMAN RIGHTS DUE DILIGENCE AND THE OECD GUIDELINES: 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].

BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS CENTRE shares news of nickel mining company in Palawan, Philippines, causing environmental damage to food sources sustaining local communities, and harmful impacts on their health and livelihoods READ MORE

FORUM-ASIA shares its opinion piece, “4 trends shaping the environment, business and human rights  in Asia in 2026”, outlining the impacts of AI, critical minerals, due diligence, and deep-sea mining on human rights READ MORE

BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS CENTRE shares account of thousands of Nepali migrant workers denied labour permits and prevented from travelling to the Middle-East owing to the conflict between Iran, Israel and the USA READ MORE

ASIA DEMOCRACY CHRONICLES shares the latest edition of its Democracy Digest newsletter, covering topics including press freedom in Mongolia, the impact of US Aid cuts in Myanmar, Pakistan's deportation campaign of Afghan refugees, and cuts to Radio Free Asia/Voice of America READ MORE

New global framework to improve access to justice for women and girls adopted by UN calls on states to repeal discriminatory laws, expand legal aid, strengthen protections against violence, and make justice systems more accessible and responsive to women and girls READ MORE

UN Special Rapporteur on the right to development, Surya Deva calls for input for the 2026 reports of the Special Rapporteur on the right to development, deadline 17 April READ MORE

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to development, Surya Deva is inviting participation in online sessions on “participation in and peace for development” on 24 April or 29 April READ MORE

OHCHR calls for inputs: The impact of trade agreements on women’s economic empowerment READ MORE

Special Rapporteur on the right to education invites students to take part in a survey on how governments paying back money from their budgets borrowed from other countries affect their everyday school life or learning environment, deadline 30 April READ MORE

International Working Group on older persons calls for inputs on general framework, architecture, and guiding principles of a legally binding instrument on the human rights of older persons, deadline 22 April READ MORE

UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights publishes draft “Roadmap for Eradicating Poverty Beyond Growth: Rights-based, post-growth policies that make poverty eradication a deliberate outcome of restructured economies” READ MORE

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung: “Time to Act: Securing a Sustainable Future Through Corporate Accountability”, the study examines the role of the UN Treaty on Business and Human Rights in strengthening corporate accountability and environmental justice. READ MORE

THAILAND The Grassroots Justice Network is currently accepting applications for their leadership program. This free, three-month program aims to help participants to use the law to build power, fight injustice and drive change. Applications close 10 April 2026 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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