By: Windi Arini, Country Director (Indonesia)
On 11–12 February 2026, the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (RWI) and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), with support from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), convened a Regional Consultation in Jakarta to advance the development of a Guidebook on Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases in Southeast Asia.
The consultation forms part of an ongoing collaboration between RWI and ICJ, launched in 2024, aimed at strengthening the environmental rule of law and improving access to justice in the region. Building on earlier judicial dialogues in Bangkok and Jakarta, the draft Guidebook is designed as a comparative reference tool to support judicial reflection across jurisdictions.
Over two days, 31 participants — including judges, public interest lawyers, national human rights institutions, academics, and civil society representatives — engaged in structured discussions anchored by judicial reflections. The draft Guidebook, which currently covers seven jurisdictions, was reviewed for accuracy, balance, and practical relevance.
Key discussions addressed procedural challenges in environmental litigation, including legal standing, admissibility, treatment of expert and scientific evidence, identification of SLAPP suits, protection of human rights defenders, and the enforcement of environmental judgments. Participants also reflected on the role of international and regional standards, including the recently adopted ASEAN Declaration on the Right to a Safe, Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment, and how these standards may inform domestic adjudication.
The consultation marked the first time the draft Guidebook was opened to a broader, cross-sector group beyond the core judicial contributors. Input gathered during the meeting will inform the near-final draft, ensuring that the Guidebook responds to practical realities faced by courts and stakeholders across Southeast Asia.
Through collaborative and regionally grounded dialogue, the consultation reaffirmed a shared commitment: strengthening procedural frameworks to ensure effective remedies and meaningful access to environmental justice.
For more information about this initiative, please contact Windi Arini.
Read more about RWI’s Regional Asia Pacific Programme 2 (RAPP2) here
