New Year’s Greetings and Best Wishes from DTP. This is the first DTP eNews for 2023. Today is the launch of DTP’s much postponed 30th Annual Human Rights Human Rights and Peoples' Diplomacy Training Program, by DTP Advisory Council Member, Professor Vitit Muntarbhorn, one of the region’s leading human rights advocates and academics. We are excited to return to F2F programs and look forward to a busy year, working with partners, alumni and supporters to promote human rights and assist human rights defenders. This issue of the eNews includes a profile of DTP trainer, Ray Jureidini and DTP alumna Retina Rongpipi as well as news from alumni and partners across the region.

30TH ANNUAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND PEOPLE'S DIPLOMACY PROGRAM: Begins today in Bangkok, Thailand – in partnership with Forum-Asia, Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact, Migrant Forum in Asia, Pacific Islands Association of NGOs, Mahidol University, HRDF and SHAPE-SEA. 27 participants from 13 countries.

RIGHTS OF THE CHILD WEBINAR: “The Convention on the Rights of the Child: Hearing and Listening to the Voice of Children and Young People” Wednesday 25 January 2023, 1:00-2:30PM REGISTER HERE

AUSTRALIAN RIGHTS OF THE CHILD WORKSHOPS: Sydney 28 February-1 March. Applications close 14 February 2023 FIND OUT MORE Perth 30-31 March. Applications close 16 March 2023 FIND OUT MORE

HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY CAPACITY BUILDING FOR NSW DIASPORA COMMUNITY LEADERS: Feb 10th - 12th in partnership with STARTTS for 30 migrant and refugee community leaders.

ENVIRONMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS WORKSHOP - FIJI: 14-16 February. 3 day workshop for Pacific EHRDs to strengthen capacity to hold governments and businesses accountable for human rights violations - in partnership with OHCHR Regional Office, the Pacific Human Rights Defenders Network, and the Hawai'i Institute for Human Rights. REGISTER INTEREST HERE

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES RIGHTS IN AUSTRALIA: Strategy Roundtable with Indigenous Law Centre, Nura Gili and Oxfam Australia – February 9th, Sydney.

MYANMAR DIASPORA HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCACY IN ASEAN: Rescheduled to 27-31 March 2023, Bangkok, Thailand. Applications close 14 February FIND OUT MORE

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

Pranom ( Bee) Somwong shares news of Supreme Court decision to review appeal by family for damages from army in the extrajudicial killing of Indigenous young HRD Chaiyaphum Pa-sae in 2017

FORUM-ASIA calls on Sri Lankan government to immediately end the arbitrary detention of Wasantha Mudalige, a student activist who was arrested on August 18, 2022 READ MORE

MIGRANT FORUM IN ASIA The John Kennedy Bingham Memorial Series Episode 4 webinar - Part 1: Access to Justice for Migrant Workers (Wage Theft), 31 January 2023 (Tuesday) 10PM MANILA / 3PM GENEVA / 9AM NEW YORK. REGISTER HERE

AUSTRALIA In its World Report 2023 Human Rights Watch criticises Australia’s incarceration of Indigenous peoples including children under 14 and its lack of sufficient action to fight climate change READ MORE

MYANMAR/MENA Women fleeing Myanmar conflict exploited by recruiters and abused by sponsors in Middle East READ MORE

CHINA China Labour Watch report: “Trapped: The Belt and Road Initiative's Chinese Workers” READ THE REPORT

PAKISTAN Sindh Human Rights Defenders Network document increase in abuse of ESC rights after catastrophic floods in Sindh READ MORE

AUSTRALIA DTP would like to congratulate Bronte Moules on her appointment as Inaugural Australian Ambassador for Human Rights READ MORE

THAILAND Human Rights Watch calls for release of women HRDs Orawan Phuphong and Tantawan Tuatulanon for criticising monarchy and on hunger strike in solidarity for others imprisoned under lese majeste laws READ MORE

Reminders

* Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants calls for input for his report on how to expand and diversify regularization mechanisms and programs to enhance the protection of the human rights of migrants, deadline 15 February READ MORE

* Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances calls for input for a thematic study on “new technologies and enforced disappearances”, deadline 3 February READ MORE

* Expert Mechanism calls for inputs on Study on “The impact of militarization on the rights of Indigenous Peoples”, deadline 31 January READ MORE

* Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression calls for submissions to the thematic report “Freedom of Opinion and Expression and Sustainable Development - Why Voice Matters”, deadline 3 February READ MORE

Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women new General Recommendation No. 39 on the rights of Indigenous women and girls READ MORE

Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities new General comment No. 8 on the right of persons with disabilities to work and employment READ MORE