The Asia Pacific Refugee
Rights Network
Dr Savitri Taylor, Associate Professor, Law
School, La Trobe University
8 August 2014
What is APPRN?
1
5
Iran 1
8
Hong Kong 4
1
3
9
UK 3
1
3
6
USA 3
Maldives 1
Macau
1
4
8
3
3
10
4
1
21
Distribution
of APRRN’s publicly listed organizational members
La Trobe University
4
2
Current APRRN Structure
3
Diagram taken from APRRN website
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
La Trobe University
 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)
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APPRN Activities
Networking and Information Sharing among
Members
Capacity Building of Members
Advocacy
La Trobe University
5
Advocacy: National Societies
Country of focus
No. of Statements
Australia
Bangladesh
Burma
5
1
2
Japan
Malaysia
New Zealand
1
1
2
South Korea
Sri Lanka
1
2
Taiwan
Thailand
Regional
La Trobe University
1
3
4
6
Advocacy: Inter-Governmental Entities
La Trobe University
7
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
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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
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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
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Developing APRRN’s Regional Protection Framework
Vision (June 2013 draft)
Vision (June 2014 draft)
1,900 words approx.
2,800 words approx. because the list of
desiderata is longer and articulated in
more detail than in the first draft.
Refers mostly to refugees, asylum
Refers throughout to refugees, asylum
seekers, & stateless persons with
seekers, torture survivors and
occasional mention of IDPs and others. complainants, trafficked persons,
IDPs, stateless persons and returnees
(shorthanded as “people in need of
protection”) or else “all persons”
Focus is on international law relating
to refugees and stateless persons
Draws on all possible sources of
international human rights obligation
and on “soft law”
Contemplated actors are primarily
governments, NGOs, and IGOs
Far more references to “all actors”.
La Trobe University
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Thank you
Email: s.taylor@latrobe.edu.au
Twitter: @SavitriTaylor