This report examines the human rights implications surrounding the implementation and consequences of the ‘war on drugs’ of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, the domestic and international response leading to his arrest in the International Criminal Court, and the continuing pursuit of justice and accountability for victims of the extrajudicial killings.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been a central driver of humanitarian and development assistance in Southeast Asia, including refugee protection in partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Member States (Thailand Business News, 2025). Through initiatives such as the Partnership for Good Governance, Equitable, and Sustainable Development and Security (PROGRESS) and the Partnership for Regional Optimisation within the Political-Security and Socio-Cultural Communities (PROSPECT), USAID has supported anti-trafficking frameworks, capacity-building for legal aid, and direct service delivery in refugee camps (U.S. Mission to ASEAN, 2023). In 2025, however, the United States (U.S.) government altered its foreign aid approach and is poised to ‘close down’ USAID (BBC News, 2025).
International humanitarian law (IHL), also known as the law of armed conflict or the guidelines that govern the conduct of war, was established to mitigate suffering and human rights abuses for persons who are not directly involved in the conflict and to regulate the methods of warfare. As part of the wider framework of international law, IHL is binding for states that have ratified the various conventions and treaties in which the regulations are enshrined (ICRC, 2004).
International humanitarian law (IHL), also known as the law of armed conflict or the guidelines that govern the conduct of war, was established to mitigate suffering and human rights abuses for persons who are not directly involved in the conflict and to regulate the methods of warfare. As part of the wider framework of international law, IHL is binding for states that have ratified the various conventions and treaties in which the regulations are enshrined (ICRC, 2004).
Modern slavery, a term often associated with past times, remains a pervasive and omnipresent prevailing issue in our contemporary world. Despite its often invisible nature in the Western world, modern slavery keeps being an issue for many people worldwide, depriving individuals of their fundamental freedom, human rights, and dignity. This complex issue appears in various forms like forced labor, debt bondage, forced marriage, and human trafficking, sexual slavery and forced prostitution, adapting and evolving with global economic and social shifts.
Modern slavery, a term often associated with past times, remains a pervasive and omnipresent prevailing issue in our contemporary world. Despite its often invisible nature in the Western world, modern slavery keeps being an issue for many people worldwide, depriving individuals of their fundamental freedom, human rights, and dignity.
The Kashmir conflict is one of the longest-running and most complex disputes in South Asia. This report explores its origins beginning with the 1947 Partition and traces its development through armed conflicts and political decisions such as the 2019 revocation of Kashmir’s autonomy, and evaluates the conflict’s lasting impact on the region’s population. It also examines the role of the United Nations and other international actors, the humanitarian consequences for civilians, and how domestic politics in India and Pakistan continue to shape the issue.
Cracking Down on the Free Press: Growing Authoritarianism in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam presents evidence of the shrinking boundaries of press freedom in three Southeast Asian nations. In Indonesia, where democratic institutions nominally remain intact, successive administrations have intensified legal intimidation of journalists. In the Philippines –once home to one of the region’s freest media landscapes – red-tagging and online harassment have been normalised through legal coercion. And in Vietnam, a single-party State, surveillance and a penal code are used to strictly control public discourse and suppress dissent. Despite their differing political systems, all three governments are actively working to restrict critical and constructive journalism. A clear and deliberate pattern has emerged: journalists are increasingly portrayed as adversaries, and public scrutiny is reframed as a threat to national security.
This work explores how creativity and critical thinking help us understand complex ideas and see the world from new perspectives. Through concise narratives and reflection, it highlights the power of imagination to question assumptions, inspire innovation, and encourage meaningful expression.
Indigenous peoples represent some of the world’s most historically marginalized communities. They are generally understood as groups with ancestral connections to specific territories, maintaining distinct cultural, linguistic, and spiritual traditions that set them apart from dominant societies. Today, the United Nations estimates that there are more than 476 million indigenous people across over 90 countries, comprising about 6% of the global population. Despite their diversity, they share common experiences of dispossession, marginalization, and resilience in defending their ways of life.
