Become a Member of FORUM-ASIA!
30 May 2018 12:00 pm

FORUM-ASIA is a membership-based human rights and development organisation in Asia with a network of 81 members in 21 countries across the region. FORUM-ASIA works to promote and protect all human rights for all, including the right to development, through collaboration and cooperation among human rights organisations and defenders in Asia and beyond.

Overall criteria for membership

Membership of FORUM-ASIA is open to civil society organisations working in Asia on human rights, democracy and sustainable development. Individuals are not eligible for the membership of FORUM-ASIA.

To be eligible for membership organisations need to:

  • Have conducted at least two years of active work in the field of human rights, democracy and sustainable development at the sub-national or national level;
  • Be actively involved in social mobilisation, research and advocacy in a peaceful, accountable and transparent manner;
  • Ensure organisational integrity, gender-sensitivity and practice core principles of human rights and a secular approach in their own work;
  • Not be involved in any form of violence, discrimination, exclusion, sectarianism or partisan approach; and
  • Not be affiliated to any Governments or political parties.

Member organisations of FORUM-ASIA are expected to actively engage and work in a cordial manner with all members of FORUM-ASIA at the national and international level. Members are also expected to participate in FORUM-ASIA’s programmes, share periodic information with the Secretariat, and actively support the work of FORUM-ASIA.

Member organisations are also expected to support FORUM-ASIA mission and objectives, in accordance with the Strategic Plan 2016-2022.

FORUM-ASIA particularly encourages women and youth led civil society organisations and broader social movements committed to human rights, democracy and sustainable development to apply for membership.

Full-fledged, associate and affiliate members

Currently, FORUM-ASIA has three types of membership: full-fledged; associate; and affiliate members.

All members are entitled, where possible, to participate in FORUM-ASIA programmes and activities. However, in addition to that:

  • Full-fledged members are entitled to attend and vote in the General Assembly,
  • Associate members can attend the General Assembly as observers, but do not have voting rights, while
  • Affiliated members are not allowed to attend the General Assembly.

Full-fledged members are obliged to pay a yearly fee of 100 USD. For associate members the fee is 50 USD per year, while there is no membership fee for affiliated members.

Process of Membership

Applications for full-fledged membership are upon call for applications only, while applications for associate or affiliate membership can be submitted at any time.

Organisations interested in applying for associate or affiliate membership should complete the membership application form and submit it to membership@forum-asia.org. There are various documents that need to be submitted together with the form. A full list of these documents is included in the beginning of the membership application form. FORUM-ASIA will acknowledge the receipt of an application form.

Please download the membership application form here.