Bangkok, Thailand – Environmental degradation across Southeast Asia is becoming increasingly alarming and is closely intertwined with human rights violations, particularly affecting Indigenous Peoples, vulnerable groups, and environmental defenders. In response to these challenges, the Raoul Wallenberg Institute (RWI) organized the National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI) Course on Environmental Rights on 9–10 June 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand.
The regional event brought together a dozen staff representatives from National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) across Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Timor-Leste. The forum aimed to strengthen the capacity of NHRIs to respond to environmental degradation while translating the ASEAN Declaration on the Right to a Safe, Clean, Healthy, and Sustainable Environment (ADER) into a more practical and actionable framework.
Aryanto Nugroho, National Coordinator of Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia, was specially invited by RWI to provide strategic input and serve as a Co-Facilitator and Lead Discussant, particularly in bringing the Business and Human Rights (BHR) perspective into the discussions.
Bridging International Agreements and Corporate Accountability
On the first day of the workshop (9 June), Aryanto helped facilitate group discussions and case study sessions on integrating Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs)—including international conventions on climate change, hazardous waste, and biodiversity—with the substantive rights recognized under the ADER framework, particularly in the Indonesian context.
On the second day (10 June), Aryanto served as a discussant as participating NHRIs presented their Institutional Action Plans. He highlighted how Business and Human Rights (BHR) tools and approaches can strengthen NHRIs’ work plans in addressing priority environmental issues in their respective countries.
Two Key Takeaways: Cross-Border Innovation and Action-Oriented Planning
Representing PWYP Indonesia, Aryanto stated that the forum was not merely a platform for sharing perspectives, but also a space for mutual learning. Listening to the firsthand experiences of NHRIs across Southeast Asia provided valuable insights into how international commitments such as ADER are being advanced to ensure they become more than just commitments on paper.
PWYP Indonesia highlighted two key takeaways from the meeting:
Cross-Border Innovation. Learning how different NHRIs across Southeast Asia navigate complex socio-environmental challenges provides valuable benchmarks for advancing ecological justice advocacy in Indonesia.
From Principle to Practice. The forum encouraged both NHRIs and civil society organizations to move beyond broad international frameworks toward concrete institutional action. Such action plans are considered essential to delivering meaningful protection for local ecosystems and environmental human rights defenders.
PWYP Indonesia’s participation in this regional forum reaffirms the coalition’s commitment to expanding regional collaboration and promoting natural resource governance that is not only fiscally transparent but also firmly grounded in human rights principles. (AN)