South East Asia Public Interest Lawyers SEAPIL An

South East Asia Public Interest Lawyers SEAPIL An Initiative to Support the role of lawyer in promoting access to justice in Southeast Asia

IMPORTANCE Cross border impact: • Infrastructure, mining, power plant, property, etc. • Migration & human trafficking • Climate change Low human rights standard and protection • Minimum adoption of universally recognized human rights instrument • Violations of human rights • Lack of effective remedies Southeast Asian human rights framework • ASEAN Human Rights Instrument: Charter, ASEAN Declaration on Human rights • ASEAN Human Rights Bodies: AICHR, ACMW, ACWC

LAWYERS’ ROLE Legal Empowerment • Empowering SEA people to understand, use, and shape the law • Empowering SEA people to advocate their own rights and justice Legal Representation Legal Reform • Defending SEA people’s rights and justice • Seeking remedies trough existing justice channels or other avenues • Creating precedent through Strategic litigation • Proposing legal draft to improve access to justice • Participating in any initiative of law making at national or regional level

LAWYERS’ CHALLENGES Lack of opportunity to access quality and continuing legal education Lack of opportunity to exchange knowledge, skills and information on rule of law and access to justice with other public interest advocates in the region Challenging operating environments, including threats to security, liberty and life of the lawyers

LAWYERS’ NEEDS Capacity Building • Relevant justice issues • SEA human rights mechanism • legal advocacy Lawyers Exchange • Experience • Resources Solidarity • Advocacy challenge • Potential threat and risk Cross Border Collaboration • Casework or strategic litigation • Monitoring • Legal analysis and drafting

SEAPIL OBJECTIVES • To develop an effective network of lawyers in Southeast Asia • To strengthen access to justice, rule of law, and encourage law and judicial reform in Southeast Asia by establishing a platform for lawyers, including cross-border cooperation to exchange and develop knowledge, skills and information • To support one another on national, regional, and international public interest advocacy initiatives, • To advocate for an effective and legally binding ASEAN, national, regional and international human rights instruments and mechanisms that are in compliance with international human rights standards

SEAPIL Principles Transparency Democratic process Accountability Nondiscrimination Non-Partisan Volunteerism SEAPIL Participation Gender Equality Respect Solidarity Confidentiality

SEAPIL Structure Secretariat General Assembly Regional Working Committee National Focal Point Members

SEAPIL INITIATIVES • Training for Southeast Asian lawyers on Legal Advocacy & ASEAN human rights mechanism • Participating in civil society effort to improve ASEAN Declaration on Human Rights • Creating and participating in regional or global forum of lawyers: SEAPIL convening, Global Movement Lawyer convening, legal empowerment forum, pro bono conference, etc. • Monitoring the condition of access to justice in Southeast Asia in relation to COVID-19 pandemic • Solidarity on lawyer protection