Strategic Litigation Network for the Human Rights of People on the Move in Asia and the Pacific

About

The Strategic Litigation Network for the Human Rights of People on the Move in Asia and the Pacific is a workstream of the Regional United Nations Network on Migration for Asia and the Pacific. Co-led by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN), the Network fosters and supports strategic litigation in the Asia-Pacific region related to human rights in the context of migration and people on the move.

The Network provides a platform for cross-jurisdictional knowledge sharing and peer support as well as capacity development and identifies opportunities for engagement and collaboration amongst legal practitioners in the region.

Membership

Members of the Regional UN Network on Migration as well as legal practitioners and advocates who are, or seek to be, actively engaged in strategic litigation related to the human rights of migrants and people on the move in the Asia Pacific region are welcome to join the Strategic Litigation Network.

The Network now boasts over 80 members from across Asia and the Pacific. Members’ thematic focus encompasses human trafficking, migrant workers’ rights, climate mobility, the principle of non-refoulement, issues related to immigration detention, pathways to protection, discrimination and the protection of migrant children.

Apply to become a member

History and Timeline of the Network

February 2023: 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 for the Human Rights of People on the Move in Asia and the Pacific, under the auspices of the Regional UN Network on Migration.

September 2023: Consultation

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.

2024 Webinars & Inaugural In-Person Meeting

In 2024, members engaged in quarterly online meetings and attended an inaugural in-person meeting in Bangkok in August 2024.

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 current and emerging strategic litigation cases for migrants in vulnerable situations in the Asia-Pacific region. Members heard from expert panellists across the region and engaged in a series of peer-to-peer workshops and cross-jurisdictional knowledge sharing sessions.

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