“The edge of war: Why efforts to end the Middle East conflict must include seafarer protection” from the Business and Human Rights Centre is the latest in our series on the human rights and environmental impacts of corporate and government practices on the seas and oceans. While its main focus is on the rights of some 20,000 caught in the Gulf conflict, it's relevant to the human rights of all seafarers READ MORE

In this issue we profile DTP alumnus Francelino Dos Santos Serra, 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. 

Sydney Peace Prize 2026

DTP would like to congratulate Australian lawyer Jennifer Robinson for her award of the Sydney Peace Prize “for her commitment to international law and her dedication to upholding and promoting human rights, free speech, press freedom, and gender and climate justice", including in West Papua, Egypt and Palestine READ MORE

          Building the capacity of Asia-Pacific Human Rights Movements since 1990         

For information about our alumni, click here. If you want to get in contact with any of DTP's alumni, please contact the DTP secretariat at [email protected].

2026: SPECIAL ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION ON CHILD RIGHTS AND DIGITAL RIGHTS, WITH DR VICTOR KARUNAN

DTP was pleased to host eminent human rights activist Victor Karunan in late April. Victor shared with us “The Youth Charter: Advancing the 2030 Global Development Agenda”, the outcome of a meeting of more than 170 young delegates representing over 45 countries convened in Malaysia for the Future Action Summit in November. REPORT TO FOLLOW

2026: 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 hosted 23 participants from 10 countries, including DTP's first-ever 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

2025: 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. 

2025: 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.

2025: BUILDING RESILIENCE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY THROUGH CAPACITY BUILDING

2025: 33rd ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND PEOPLING PROGRAMMES' DIPLOMACY TRAINING PROGRAM

See program highlights short video VIEW HERE

2025: REGIONAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS EXCHANGE - LEARNING AND TRAINING 2025

HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER (HRD) GUIDELINES: A DTP AND FRONT LINE DEFENDERS WEBINAR SERIES

Watch Webinar 1: What are the HRD Guidelines?

BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS: THE OECD GUIDELINES ON RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS CONDUCT AND THE NATIONAL CONTACT POINTS (NCP) WEBINAR SERIES

Watch Webinar 1: Introduction to the Australian NCP

Watch Webinar 2: Promoting Human Rights through the Supply Chain

Watch Webinar 3: Free, Prior and Informed Consent

INDONESIAN ALUMNI WEBINAR SERIES: HUMAN RIGHTS, CLIMATE CHANGE, BUSINESS AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES: INDONESIA'S FOOD ESTATE IN WEST PAPUA AND ITS IMPACTS 

Watch Webinar 1: Community Impacts of the Food Estate

Watch Webinar 2: Impacts on Community and Climate

Watch Webinar 3: Merauke and Indonesia's Climate Bomb

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.

INDIGENOUS RIGHTS The Director of the Indigenous Working Group on Indigenous Affairs, Kathrin Wessendorf, launched the latest IWGIA report entitled The Indigenous World 2026 at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues VIEW THE LAUNCH

INDIA Business and Human Rights Centre shares news of demonstrations by Left political parties in solidarity with workers threatened and repressed by government actions for union activities on behalf of demands for a raise in the minimum wage READ MORE

PACIFIC The UN Pacific Regional Office shares a flyer for the symposium “Democracy, Human Rights, and International Geneva in the Pacific,” held on Wednesday, 6 May at the University of the South Pacific, Fiji with support from the Swiss government. We will share a report in a forthcoming issue of the E-News VIEW HERE

DIGITAL RIGHTS FORUM-ASIA shares the deep concerns of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Assembly and Association over the cancellation of RightsCon 2026, the world's leading summit on human rights in the digital age scheduled to be held in Zambia, due to pressure from the Chinese Government READ MORE

The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development, Professor Surya Deva is launching a social media campaign, “Cost of conflicts – A plea for peace”. The goal is to make a case why states should move away from funding war economies to investing in human rights-based peace. This includes a short video VIEW HERE

OHCHR call for input for the preparation of the report of the UN Secretary-General “A global call for concrete action for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action”, deadline 07 May READ MORE

Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders stepped down from her mandate at the end of April. She gave a final interview to ISHR on her recommendations for the better protection of human rights defenders WATCH HERE

Joint NGO submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on Climate Change and Human Rights, “Food systems, climate and human rights: Addressing patriarchal masculinities structures and norms to advance care and justice” for the SR report “transforming food systems to protect human rights and prevent climate harm“ READ MORE

The International Service for Human Rights has a short course on line, teaching how to achieve ECOSOC status at the UN and how to use the status 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

The Community Resource Exchange invites communities from Asia-Pacific to submit proposals for Collaboration Grants, to support joint initiatives that strengthen community efforts to defend their human rights in the context of international investments and development energy projects, deadline 20 May 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.

You are receiving this newsletter as an alumni, trainer and/or friend of DTP.
To unsubscribe, please click here.