Kuala Lumpur, 21–23 April 2026 – The South East Asia National Human Rights Institutions Forum (SEANF) opened its first Technical Working Group (TWG) Meeting of 2026 at The Grand Mercure Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, with delegates attending both in person and via the Zoom platform. The three-day gathering, which runs until 23 April, is being held under the Chairpersonship of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM). The meeting includes two dedicated side events: Defending the Defenders on the afternoon of 22 April, and the Forum on Human Rights, Business and Climate Justice 2026 on 23 April.
Delivering the opening remarks, SUHAKAM Commissioner Abdul Kadir Jailani Ismail welcomed SEANF members, noting this as the first in-person meeting under Malaysia’s chairpersonship since the COVID-19 pandemic. He highlighted two central topics: “Defending the Defenders” and “Human Rights, Business, and Climate Justice,” drawing attention to the increasing use of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) across Southeast Asia to silence human rights defenders. On climate justice, he commended the recent ASEAN Declaration on the Right to a Safe, Clean, Healthy, and Sustainable Environment. “Let’s be politically savvy enough to navigate the current tensions, but diplomatically brave enough to put human rights at the very centre of the table,” he concluded, formally declaring the meeting open.
Timor-Leste’s national human rights institution, the Provedor de Direitos Humanos e Justiça (PDHJ), is represented at the meeting by Chief of Staff Mr. Auréo José António Savio and Communication and Public Relations Specialist Mr. Antoninho Bernardino. Notably, the Ombudsman for Human Rights and Justice, Mr. Virgilio da Silva Guterres “Lamukan,” participated as a panelist in the Defending the Defenders side event. His invitation stemmed from both his current mandate as Ombudsman and his personal experience as a former political prisoner, offering a unique perspective on the protection of human rights defenders operating under repressive conditions.
During the session on major developments, PDHJ reported significant legal victories, including a court ruling in its favor on the PNTL recruitment case, which led the government to cancel and reopen the flawed admission process. PDHJ also submitted a shadow report on the UNCRPD, advanced OPCAT ratification advocacy, and finalized a concept note on enforced disappearances. In promotion and capacity building, PDHJ trained 24 PNTL members and 22 FALINTIL-FDTL defence force members, engaged 25 local authorities, and reached 124 students through dissemination sessions. On protection, PDHJ handled 62 complaints and conducted urgent monitoring of seven cases, alongside detention, social protection center, and health facility monitoring across multiple locations. To strengthen institutional presence, PDHJ swore in 13 new public administration agents as focal points deployed to nine municipalities.
The formal TWG proceedings, held on 21 April and the morning of 22 April, included the adoption of the agenda and introductory remarks by SEANF members; sharing of major developments and activities since the 22nd SEANF Annual Conference, with presentations from CHRP (Philippines), NHRCT (Thailand), PDHJ (Timor-Leste), MNHRC (Myanmar), Komnas HAM (Indonesia), and SUHAKAM (Malaysia); a dedicated session on the implementation of the 2022–2026 SEANF Strategic Plan, covering four priorities: human rights in a post-COVID environment (led by CHRP), business and human rights (MNHRC), torture prevention (NHRCT), and institutional strengthening of SEANF (SUHAKAM and Komnas HAM); and “Other Matters” including updates on older persons’ rights, the Inter-NHRI Mechanism, and the impact of armed conflict and energy crises on human rights. Additional sessions covered discussions on responses to external communications addressed to SEANF, an update from the SEANF Strategic Communications Working Group (SCWG) presented by PDHJ, and preparations for the 2nd SEANF TWG Meeting and 23rd Annual Conference. A welcoming dinner and cultural activities took place on the evening of 21 April.
The South East Asia National Human Rights Institutions Forum (SEANF) is a regional network comprising the National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) of Southeast Asian countries. Established to promote and protect human rights through cooperation, dialogue, and capacity-building, SEANF meets annually and through technical working groups to exchange good practices, address emerging human rights challenges, and strengthen the effectiveness of NHRIs across the region. Its Rules of Procedure mandate the Chairperson to organize two TWG meetings and one Annual Conference each year.
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