APHR 7th MEMBERS FORUM IN MANILA 2025

The 7th Annual ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) Members’ Forum, taking place on 6 to 7 December 2025 in Manila, Philippines, will convene current and former parliamentarians from across eight Southeast Asian countries and beyond to discuss the state of democracy and human rights in the region.

This year has seen renewed civic momentum across Southeast Asia. From Indonesia to the Philippines, Timor-Leste to Malaysia and Thailand, workers, youth, students, and activists have mobilized through strikes, demonstrations, and civic campaigns demanding justice, accountable governance, and dignified living conditions. These movements confront persistent inequality, corruption, environmental harm, and restrictions on freedoms, underscoring the growing urgency for effective, rights-based parliamentary action.

The Members’ Forum serves as APHR’s central platform for constructive dialogue, knowledge sharing, and regional collaboration on democracy, human rights, and climate-related challenges. Since the Forum’s establishment in 2016, it has become a key annual gathering to strengthen collective efforts and enhance the capacity of parliamentarians to respond to the region’s evolving political and human rights landscape.

The forum is designed as an informal yet substantive gathering where APHR members can share insights, discuss pressing issues, and contribute to shaping the organization’s future direction.

Objectives:

• Share knowledge and insights on the state of democracy and human rights in the region;
• Provide recommendations on the priorities and strategies of APHR for the upcoming year;
• Collectively examine the challenges facing democracy and human rights in Southeast Asia and identify strategies and ways forward to address them at the national and ASEAN;
• Strengthen relations and networks between APHR members and staff to address human rights and democracy concerns in the region.

PROGRAMME: