Transcript The Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network
The Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network
Dr Savitri Taylor, Associate Professor, Law School, La Trobe University 8 August 2014
What is APPRN?
UK 3 USA 3 Iran 1 1 9 6 3 4 Maldives 1 1 1 8 3 Hong Kong 4 Macau 1 3 8 3 10 4 5 1 21 4 2
Current APRRN Structure
Intertwining
Promotes alternatives to detention Formally launched in June 2006 Became incorporated NGO in March 2009 Secretariat based in Melbourne, Australia Offices in Mexico, Malaysia and Germany Over 250 members in 60 countries (some also members of APRRN) Member of APRRN Promotes refugee rights and legal representation in the Global South Established in 2007 Secretariat is Fahamu Refugee Programme (member of APRRN; merged with International Refugee Rights Initiative In July 2014) About 34 members in 25 countries (some also members of APRRN) La Trobe University 4
APPRN Activities Networking and Information Sharing among Members Capacity Building of Members Advocacy
La Trobe University 5
Advocacy: National Societies
Country of focus
Australia Bangladesh Burma Japan Malaysia New Zealand South Korea Sri Lanka Taiwan Thailand Regional
La Trobe University
2 1 3 4 1 1 2 1
No. of Statements
5 1 2
6
Advocacy: Inter-Governmental Entities
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Advocacy: Individual Governments
Claimed achievements in APRRN Annual Report 2012: “ APRRN members in Nepal engaging with the national legislative assembly to table national legislation on refugee protection, a result of APRRN training on strategic advocacy Lowest recorded refugee detainees in the Bangkok Immigration Detention Centre (IDC) in 10 years Passing of South Korea’s domestic refugee law… Increased protection for refugees in Indonesia, through drafting of Standard Operating Procedures The development of national pilot projects for alternatives to detention to be implemented in 2013 across a range of countries.” Savitri Taylor, 'Civil Society and the Fight for Refugee Rights in the Asia Pacific Region' in A. Francis and R. Maguire (eds), Protection of Refugees and Displaced Persons in the Asia Pacific Region (Great Britain: Ashgate, 2013) 35-52 La Trobe University 8
Developing APRRN’s Regional Protection Framework
Bali Process
Member countries (45): Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, DPR Korea, Fiji, France (New Caledonia), Hong Kong SAR, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Kiribati, Lao PDR, Macau SAR, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Palau, PNG, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, Timor Leste, Tonga, Turkey, UAE, USA, Vanuatu, Viet Nam Member agencies (3): IOM, UNHCR and UNODC Other participating countries (18): Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, European Commission, Finland, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, Other participating agencies (10): ADB, APC, ICMPD, ICRC, IFRC, IGC, ILO, Interpol, UNDP, World Bank La Trobe University 9
Developing APRRN’s Regional Protection Framework
Regional Protection Framework Vision for Regional Protection
“A broad, high-level statement about what the successful outcome of our work would look like.
· What do we want to see in the region in 10-20 years’ time?
· What is realistic and achievable?”
Plan of Action
“The operational element laying out what we will do as APRRN members and our recommendations about what governments, UNHCR, donors and others should be doing in order for our vision to be achieved.
· How do we operationalize the framework?
· Who must do what to ensure the vision becomes a reality?”
Research & Consultation Framework
“Will facilitate research and consultations towards the development of the Vision and Plan of Action, help map and prioritise the key issues of interest to stakeholders, and focus on what is working well already.
· What do we need to know in order move forward?
· What topics will we prioritize and what questions do we need to ask?” From report on APRRN Consultations and Symposium, 8-11 September 2013, Tokyo La Trobe University 10
Developing APRRN’s Regional Protection Framework
Vision for Regional Protection: Common Structure of Drafts 1 & 2
Background [2 paragraphs] Preamble [7 paras/10 paras] Vision Statement • [5 paras/6 paras] Freedom from Violence, Coercion, Deprivation, Exploitation & Abuse • [6 paras/9 paras] Access to Essential Services • [5 paras] Legal Protection • [4 paras/8 paras] Access to Durable Solutions • [6 paras/7 paras] Highest Possible Level of Self-Sufficiency • [3 paras] Partnerships for a Supportive Operating Environment [6 paras/7 paras] La Trobe University 11
Developing APRRN’s Regional Protection Framework
Vision (June 2013 draft)
1,900 words approx.
Refers mostly to refugees, asylum seekers, & stateless persons with occasional mention of IDPs and others.
Focus is on international law relating to refugees and stateless persons Contemplated actors are primarily governments, NGOs, and IGOs
Vision (June 2014 draft)
2,800 words approx. because the list of desiderata is longer and articulated in more detail than in the first draft.
Refers throughout to refugees, asylum seekers, torture survivors and complainants, trafficked persons, IDPs, stateless persons and returnees (shorthanded as “people in need of protection”) or else “all persons” Draws on all possible sources of international human rights obligation and on “soft law” Far more references to “all actors”.
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