On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the United Nations (UN) Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Michel Forst published a world report presenting the recent developments in 140 countries. The report is based on various sources provided by States, National Human Rights Institutions, UN reports [ Read more ]

  Civic space is primarily about the exercise of people’s freedoms and rights in the public sphere. It is the exercise of freedoms and human rights that sustain and expand civic space. A vibrant civic space is what makes democracy work within a society and ensures a democratic and accountable state. Hence, the extent of the [ Read more ]

FORUM-ASIA has been organising the Asian Regional Human Rights Defenders Forum (AHRDF) since 2001. This year the 8th AHRDF took place in September 2018 in Bali, Indonesia. It provided a platform for human rights defenders (HRDs) and women human rights defenders (WHRDs) to discuss work and advocacy efforts, and share experiences and the challenges they [ Read more ]

On International Human Rights Defenders Day FORUM-ASIA recognises, celebrates and honours all human rights defenders in Asia and beyond. In 1998, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the United Nations Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, commonly [ Read more ]

FORUM-ASIA, as the Secretariat of the Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI), is delighted to present the publication of the 2018 ANNI Report on the Performance and Establishment of the National Human Rights Institutions in Asia. We would like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation for all the indefatigable work carried [ Read more ]

‘Reasonable Doubt, the Journey Within – A Report on the Performance of the ASEAN Human Rights Mechanisms in 2017’ is the eighth annual review by FORUM-ASIA together with the Solidarity for Asian People’s Advocacy (SAPA) Task Force on ASEAN and Human Rights and Working Group on ASEAN (SAPA TFAHR & WGA). The report presents a [ Read more ]

The human rights based approach to sustainable development is a key thematic priority of  FORUM-ASIA. While fostering knowledge and advocacy in human rights and development, FORUM-ASIA’s Working Paper Series 4 aims to provide a historical perspective of the concept of development as human right, as well as highlighting critical issues and ways forward for the [ Read more ]

FORUM-ASIA is happy to present the report of the 2017 Global Advocacy Learning Programme on Human Rights and Development. To download the full report, please click here. The political and economic context of the world is changing in a very significant manner across national and international spheres. The emergence of neo-conservative Governments, authoritarian regimes, and [ Read more ]

FORUM-ASIA is happy to present the Annual Report 2017! The report gives an overview of the work FORUM-ASIA has done in 2017 for the promotion and protection of human rights in the region. It features updates and activities from all programmes, a financial overview, and a map with all our member organisations in 2017, among [ Read more ]

  In the face of a new wave of violence that included genocidal killings by security forces in Myanmar’s Rakhine (formerly Arakan) State since 24 August 2017, some 671,000 Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh from their villages and townships as of April 2018. They are now living in refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, together with [ Read more ]