Kathmandu Statement 2021 Outcome Document of the Regional Advocacy Consultation on South Asian Human Rights Mechanism , 23-24 June 2021 Preamable Despite constitutional guarantees of the rule of law and fundamental freedoms, two crucial preconditions to promote and protect human rights, States in South Asia have increasingly demonstrated apathy and impunity to rights violations. The [ Read more ]

FORUM-ASIA is proud to present Regional Human Rights Mechanisms in South Asia: Past efforts and ways forward. The report presents the varied snapshots of the human rights situations across South Asian counties, the need for a regional human rights mechanism, progress that has been made and opportunities moving forward. It is crucial that a regional [ Read more ]

Impunity is the absence of accountability and the rule of law. Impunity is defined in an international human rights instruments as the ‘impossibility, de jure or de facto, of bringing perpetrators of violations to account’, in criminal, civil, administrative or disciplinary proceedings, because such perpetrators are not made subject to inquiries that will allow them [ Read more ]

Date: 23 September 2020 To, H.E. Mr. Mohammad Haneef Atmar, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Afghanistan H.E. Dr. A.K. Abdul Momen, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh H.E. Dr. Tandi Dorji, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Bhutan H.E Dr. S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, India H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, Minster of Foreign Affairs, Maldives H.E. Mr. Pradeep [ Read more ]

An online discussion on the ‘Protection of women’s and children’s rights in COVID-19: Responses from South Asian Countries’ Across the world, people have witnessed a spike in cases of domestic violence and how gendered norms of unpaid care work have been reinforced in the face of lockdowns–South Asia is no exception. What challenges and risks [ Read more ]

In July 2018, the Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI), initiated the process for greater engagement on the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRCI). The independence and effectiveness of the NHRCI is crucial. NHRCI is the national human rights institution (NHRI) to the second most populous country globally. Additionally, as one [ Read more ]

(Bangkok/Kathmandu, 26 June 2017) The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) is deeply concerned about recent police hostility against human rights defenders in Murshidabad district, West Bengal. Human rights defenders from the respected human rights group Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) have been facing harassment and intimidation and are now at risk of [ Read more ]

FORUM-ASIA member SPARC from Pakistan is organising a three-day training on child rights from 25 – 27 July 2017 in Islamabad. This training is designed to discuss the roles and responsibilities of the social activists and volunteers working for the promotion, protection and implementation of child rights. For more information, click here.

Date: Wednesday, 14 June 2017 Time: 11:00-12:00 Venue: Room XXVII, Palais des Nations, Geneva Freedom of expression continues to be under threat in South Asia. Restrictive legislation, criminal defamation, abduction, digital surveillance, killings and threats from rising extremism are some of the trends that plagued have freedom of expression in South Asia. The side event will [ Read more ]

FORUM-ASIA member Law & Society Trust published a report: The Politics of Criminal Justice Reforms in Times of Transitional Justice. This report seeks to place criminal justice reforms at the center of ongoing transitional justice debates and discussions in Sri Lanka.   It argues that it is dangerous to discuss criminal accountability and the special [ Read more ]