DTP trainer Nicholas Mujah has highlighted continuing impacts of community evictions for palm oil and logging/forestry in Sarawak – the lack of recognition of community title and lack of Free Prior and Informed Consent. Local Indigenous communities are affected by displacement, loss of the forests and destruction of sacred sites and their livelihoods. The impacts of pollution and soil erosion spread damage further, and the loss of natural forest further contributes to global warming. Both the local state government of Sarawak and private companies are involved. Read more about Sarawak’s hosting of Indigenous Peoples Day this August here.

PIANGO calls for a Commission for the Formal Integration of Civil Society into Pacific Regional Architecture to lift the profile of CSOs at Regional CSO Forum READ MORE

FORUM-ASIA four of the participants from the 3rd ASEAN Human Rights Academy made presentation to the Australian mission to ASEAN with recommendations on Human Rights, Indigenous Peoples, Myanmar, and Digital Rights. We hope to share their reports and recommendations in the next issue. 

FORUM-ASIA, CIVICUS and FRONT LINE DEFENDERS in partnership with other NGOs released the Declaration +25 document, supplementing the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders READ MORE

CIVICUS with activists facing increasing risk with death in custody, ongoing use of royal defamation law and transnational repression, CIVICUS Monitor rates Thailand’s civic space as ‘repressed’ READ MORE and report on Indonesia as civil society forum disrupted, protests stifled and repression in Papua continues despite UN review READ MORE

BUSINESS AND HUMAN RIGHTS RESOURCE CENTRE Amazon workers in India allegedly denied water & bathroom breaks during 50C heatwave READ MORE

ASIA INDIGENOUS PEOPLES PACT DTP trainer Nicholas Mujah is attending the ASEAN working group meeting in Malaysia to advocate for AIPP's appeal for the inclusion of Indigenous peoples in the ASEAN Declaration on Environmental Rights (ADER). AIPP is concerned that the ADER is being drafted without any representation of Indigenous peoples in the region. As all ASEAN member states have adopted UNDRIP, and the rights of Indigenous peoples are recognised in many UN documents and human rights jurisprudence and the Convention on Biological Diversity, AIPP argues Indigenous Peoples  have a right to be present, to be represented and to be recognised in ADER. They have also requested the draft ADER be provided all appropriate languages to enable informed participation and consent across ASEAN. Please read AIPP’s request HERE and hold ASEAN accountable in its need to incorporate indigenous rights into environmental policies.

INDONESIA The Asian Network for Free Elections released its report on the presidential election, Beyond Power: Upholding the Rule of Law amid Democratic Adversities, documenting problems and suggesting how to address these READ MORE

AUSTRALIA UN High Commissioner shows support for the Human Rights Act proposed by the Australian Human Rights Commission READ MORE

CAMBODIA Human rights NGO Licadho accuses UNDP of promoting as investment opportunities companies accused of human rights and environmental abuses READ MORE

THAILAND/VIETNAM Human rights groups call on Thailand government not to extradite prominent asylum seeker Y Quynh Bdap sought be Vietnamese authorities for his advocacy on behalf of the Mantagnard community READ MORE

MALAYSIA Human rights groups urge Malaysians not to turn blind eye to injustices in Sabah following Bajau Laut eviction READ MORE

MALAYSIA DigitalReach release their report Gaming Hate | Social Media Accountability in the 15th Malaysia Election READ MORE

INDONESIA An opinion piece on what happens when Indonesia’s President-elect Prabowo Subianto takes office in October READ MORE

UNDESA Disability and Development Report 2024: Accelerating the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals by, for and with persons with disabilities VIEW THE REPORT

OHCHR Call for inputs on universal birth registration and the use of digital technologies, deadline 5 August READ MORE

Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity calls for input for the report on Artificial Intelligence and international solidarity, deadline 30 June READ MORE

SDGs While the BRIC countries have made progress in achieving the UN’s Development Goals, the poorest and most vulnerable countries, including Small Island Developing States have gone backwards READ MORE

New online platform to support global children's rights legislative reform READ MORE

International Accountability Project and the Global Advocacy Team report "In Search of a Different World: Turning Dreams into Community-Led Development Plans.” READ MORE

Submissions for the Innovator Stigma Funding are open for proposals is focused on community-based and community-led innovative approaches innovative approaches to address the multiple layers of stigma that impact People Living with HIV (PLHIV), deadline 30 June READ MORE