About IPHRD – Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact

The Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Defenders (IPHRD) Network was initiated in July 30, 2010 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia with the objective to establish a platform for solidarity, coordination and support among indigenous human rights defenders and their organizations in Asia. The Network seeks to assist indigenous human rights defenders in Asia to promote and lobby the rights of indigenous peoples at national, regional and international human rights mechanisms and procedures effectively and collectively with other indigenous human rights defenders and organizations.

The Network was set up with support of the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) of the European Union (EU) under a project titled “Strengthening the Network of Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Defenders for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Asia”. The project aimed to strengthen the network for the promotion and protection of human rights of indigenous peoples in Asia. It involved collaboration among AIPP and its member and partner organizations in eight countries namely: Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines and Thailand. The project supported capacity building of community-based human rights defenders to be able to document human rights violations and undertake advocacy at the national, regional and international levels as well as enhancement of the organizational and financial management of the partner organizations. A dedicated IPHRD Fund was provided for urgent assistance to indigenous human rights defenders at risk to enable them to continue their human rights work.

AIPP has been coordinating the activities of the Network since the EIDHR project though in a reduced scale after the project. It has been providing the needed support to the indigenous human rights defenders and their organizations within the network, including in terms of technical and financial resources for capacity building and advocacy as well as for emergency assistance through the IPHRD funds.