Jakarta, Indonesia, 23–24 April 2025 – The Provedoria dos Direitos Humanos e Justiça (PDHJ) of Timor-Leste joined representatives from across Southeast Asia for the First Technical Working Group Meeting of the South East Asia National Human Rights Institutions Forum (SEANF), held in Jakarta under the Chairmanship of Komnas HAM Indonesia.
The meeting brought together all six SEANF member institutions: Komnas HAM (Indonesia), SUHAKAM (Malaysia), MNHRC (Myanmar), CHRP (Philippines), NHRCT (Thailand), and PDHJ (Timor-Leste). PDHJ was represented by Aureo José António Savio, Head of Cabinet, and Antoninho Bernardino, Media and Public Relations Specialist.
The meeting began with opening remarks from the SEANF Chairperson, followed by the formal adoption of the agenda and institutional updates. Over the two days, SEANF members reviewed progress since the 21st SEANF Annual Conference, discussed internal governance matters such as the rotational secretariat, chairpersonship terms, and reactivated the SEANF Communication Working Group to finalize the forum’s media communication guidelines.
A key focus of Day 2 was the implementation of the SEANF Strategic Plan (2022–2026), particularly its four thematic priorities:
- Human rights in a post-COVID-19 environment
- Business and human rights
- Prevention of torture
- Institutional strengthening
During the institutional sharing session, PDHJ presented its key developments and activities since the last annual conference, structured around five strategic pillars: protection, policy, promotion, prevention, and institutional strengthening.
Among its highlights, PDHJ shared its constitutional review of several key legal instruments, including the Health Professionals Career Law, and its pro bono legal support initiative for victims of forced evictions. It also emphasized its participation in major regional and international forums, such as the GANHRI Annual Meeting, the CPLP Human Rights Network Event in Geneva, and the AICHR Meetings in Malaysia.
Importantly, PDHJ announced its recent reaccreditation with “A” status by GANHRI, reaffirming its independence and compliance with the Paris Principles—a key marker of credibility and commitment for national human rights institutions.
The meeting concluded with updates from the 2025 GANHRI Annual Meeting, a briefing on the UN Human Rights Council’s resolution on the rights of older persons, and planning discussions for the upcoming 22nd SEANF Annual Conference later this year.
PDHJ’s participation reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening collaboration with SEANF partners and contributing actively to regional efforts to promote and protect human rights and good governance across Southeast Asia.
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