By: Charlie Meidino Albajili, Programme Officer for Access to Justice/Business and Human Rights, Jakarta Office
The Raoul Wallenberg Institute (RWI) launches its Baseline Study and Policy Recommendations on procedural environmental rights, and – together with FORUM-ASIA – gathers expert input from judges, NHRIs, Indigenous representatives, academics, and civil society to respond to AICHR’s Call for Inputs on the forthcoming Regional Plan of Action.
RWI launched two new publications on procedural environmental rights in ASEAN and, together with FORUM-ASIA, convened a regional consultation to support the development of the Regional Plan of Action (RPA) under the ASEAN Declaration on the Right to a Safe, Clean, Healthy, and Sustainable Environment (ADER).
The consultation comes at a critical moment. Following the adoption of ADER at the 47th ASEAN Summit in October 2025, AICHR is developing the RPA to translate the Declaration into concrete actions, institutional arrangements, and implementation measures. As organisations holding consultative status with AICHR, RWI and FORUM-ASIA contributed to this process through AICHR’s civil society consultative mechanism—one of three formal stakeholder channels established to provide inputs to the RPA.
Held in Jakarta on 27–28 July 2026 in coordination with the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) Thailand, the forum brought together judges, National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), Indigenous representatives, academics, civil society organisations, and environmental practitioners. The consultation responded to AICHR’s Call for Inputs for the RPA, which will guide the implementation of ADER following its adoption at the 47th ASEAN Summit in 2025.
The forum also marked the launch of two RWI publications developed with the support of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Jakarta: Baseline Study on the Recognition and Protection of Procedural Environmental Rights in ASEAN Member States, which assesses legal and institutional frameworks across Southeast Asia, and Strategic Policy Recommendations for Procedural Environmental Rights in ASEAN, which translates the study’s findings into practical recommendations for the RPA.
The baseline study finds that while procedural environmental rights—including access to information, public participation, and access to justice—are increasingly recognised in law across ASEAN, implementation remains uneven. The gap between legal commitments and practice disproportionately affects Indigenous Peoples, Environmental Human Rights Defenders (EHRDs), and rural and vulnerable communities. At the same time, the study identifies a range of good practices across the region that can inform future regional cooperation.
Building on these findings, participants discussed how the RPA can help address shared regional challenges that cannot be solved through national action alone. Discussions focused on strengthening access to environmental information, promoting meaningful public participation,
improving access to justice, enhancing protection for EHRDs, recognising Indigenous Peoples’ rights, advancing responsible business conduct, and strengthening regional cooperation on transboundary environmental issues.
Working groups developed recommendations on the three procedural rights pillars—access to information, public participation, and access to justice. Participants proposed practical regional actions, including common standards and guidance, stronger institutional cooperation, judicial capacity development, improved access to environmental information, and clearer mechanisms for monitoring implementation.
The consultation concluded with the presentation of consolidated recommendations, which RWI will further refine and submit to AICHR as part of its response to the Call for Inputs. By bringing together comparative research and regional expertise, the forum sought to help ensure that the forthcoming RPA provides practical guidance for translating ADER’s commitments into meaningful improvements for communities across ASEAN.
Through this initiative, RWI continues to support ASEAN’s efforts to strengthen environmental governance and procedural environmental rights by connecting evidence-based research with regional policy processes and practical implementation.
RWI extends its sincere appreciation to AICHR Thailand for its collaboration and to FORUM-ASIA for its partnership in facilitating the regional consultation. We are grateful to the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Jakarta for its generous support of the research underpinning this initiative, and to all judges, National Human Rights Institutions, Indigenous representatives, civil society organisations, academics, environmental experts, and other participants whose expertise and contributions enriched the dialogue and recommendations for the Regional Plan of Action.
Read the full publications:
- Mapping the Implementation Gap: Baseline Study on the Recognition and Protection of Procedural Environmental Rights in ASEAN Member States
- Bridging the Implementation Gap: Strategic Policy Recommendations for Procedural Environmental Rights in ASEAN
Learn more about RWI’s work in Asia and the Pacific here
This work was made possible through the generous support of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Jakarta.
