ABOUT
The Asia-Pacific Strategic Litigation Network on People on the Move is the first Asia–Pacific initiative dedicated to advancing the protection of the human rights of people on the move in the region through cutting-edge strategic litigation. It is co-led by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN) as a workstream of the Regional UN Network on Migration for Asia and the Pacific. The Network was created in response to a strong demand from practitioners for a network dedicated to fostering continuous cross-regional dialogue and peer-to-peer learning on strategic litigation for migrants and people on the move in APAC.
It harnesses the collective efforts of its members to uphold human rights, justice and fairness across the region and provides a safe space that facilitates candid international exchanges on litigation strategy.
The Network provides a platform for cross-jurisdictional knowledge sharing, runs workshops and webinars, and identifies opportunities for engagement and collaboration between leading legal practitioners and advocates in the region.
MEMBERSHIP
The Network brings together more than 100 practitioners, academics, and civil society actors across the Asia-Pacific Region. Members are at the forefront of their fields, leading strategic advocacy to provide immediate protection for the human rights of people on the move.
The Network is open to members of the Regional UN Network on Migration and legal practitioners actively engaged in strategic litigation related to the human rights of people on the move and the Global Compact for Migration in the Asia Pacific region.
Applications are considered on a rolling basis:
GEOGRAPHIC REACH
Currently, 21 countries are represented within the Network — Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Thailand and Vanuatu — and this number continues to grow.
THEMATIC AREAS OF FOCUS
Currently, 21 countries are represented within the Network — Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Thailand and Vanuatu — and this number continues to grow.
Members’ thematic focuses include:
- human trafficking
- migrant workers’ rights
- climate mobility
- non-refoulement
- Children's rights
- access to services
- immigration detention
- pathways to protection
- discrimination
- statelessness
Members’ achievements range from obtaining the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion on States’ obligations regarding climate change, securing the release of individuals held in indefinite detention, working to uphold non-refoulement obligations, upholding democratic rights of migrant workers, and promoting a non-punishment, rights-based approach for survivors of trafficking, including in the context of online scamming operations.
AS A NETWORK WE...
✅ Protect Human Dignity and Rights across Asia and the Pacific in line with the UN Charter
✅ Strengthen Access to Justice, Democracy and the Rule of Law, creating lasting precedents that transform legal norms and defend vulnerable groups.
✅ Advance Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals
✅ Mobilise regional cooperation for fairer and more equitable societies, leveraging cross-border partnerships to drive systemic, transformative change
KEY EVENTS
2025 In-Person Meeting
In November 2025, 44 members of the Strategic Litigation Network for the Human Rights of People on the Move convened in Bangkok, Thailand, for the Network’s annual in-person meeting. Participants travelled from 14 countries across Asia and the Pacific and included lawyers, advocates, civil society representatives, academics and UN staff.
Building on the success of the 2024 in-person meeting, the meeting reinforced the Network’s role as a catalyst for protecting the rights of people on the move in the region. It strengthened collaboration and knowledge-sharing among leading legal practitioners and identified prospective test cases. The meeting also highlighted innovative legal arguments and procedural strategies emerging across jurisdictions.
The two-day programme featured keynote reflections, thematic panels, and workshops covering key topics such as online scam centres and human trafficking, non-refoulement, the right to family life and non-discrimination. The programme also included a deep-dive on the implications of the International Court of Justice’s 2025 Advisory Opinion on the Obligations of States in Respect of Climate Change and how the opinion can inform future climate mobility test cases, discussions on pro bono resourcing, and a practitioner-led hackathon session to advance live case strategies across the region.
Webinars
Webinars on pertinent human rights topics are held quarterly, including
- Centering the rights of the child and the right to family life in the context of migration
- Strategic litigation & Building pro bono partnerships in Asia and the Pacific
- Racially discriminatory police profiling
- Plaintiff selection and framing the legal question
2024 Inaugural In-Person Meeting
The Inaugural in-person meeting occurred over a two-day period, bringing into dialogue lawyers, Civil Society Organizations and representatives of UN agencies, to discuss former and emerging strategic litigation cases for migrants in vulnerable situations in the Asia-Pacific region. Members heard from expert panelists across the region and engaged in a series of peer-to-peer workshops and cross-jurisdictional knowledge sharing sessions.
2023: Consultation & Maldives Meeting
In February 2023, OHCHR convened a Regional Strategic Litigation Workshop in the Maldives, supported by IOM and UNHCR, which brought into dialogue legal practitioners, CSOs, judges and UN entities. Expert participants discussed how strategic litigation can be used to protect migrants in vulnerable situations in Asia and the Pacific. The Maldives workshop highlighted a strong demand from practitioners for the creation of a network aimed at fostering continuous cross-regional dialogue and peer-to-peer learning on strategic litigation for migrants and people on the move in APAC.
In response to this call, OHCHR and APRRN committed to establishing the Strategic Litigation Network on Migrants and People on the Move in Asia and the Pacific, under the auspice of the Regional UN Network on Migration.
An in-person consultation was held in Bangkok in September 2023, bringing together 30 prospective members from around the region. Feedback provided in this consultation has been critical in shaping the development of the network.