NEWSLETTER DETAILS
News Briefs (October 2025)
Our News Briefs bring you the latest highlights from the advocacy efforts of APRRN and our members, as well as keeping you informed on upcoming events and activities. We strive to provide regular updates on the network’s activities and developments in the refugee protection sphere, alongside the emerging political climate in the Asia Pacific region. We welcome contributions from members! Please share your updates, information, or resources with Ali at msco@aprrn.org
On 1 October, Hafsar joined and spoke at the debrief session with the relevant stakeholders, following up on the high-level meeting on the issues of the Rohingya and other minorities of Myanmar. The key messages that Hafsar contributed to the debrief session include, but are not limited to, the stakeholders, member states, and all actors involved and present at the high-level meeting must follow up on the measurable and consistent frameworks to make the conducive, safe and dignified repatriation of Rohingya take place when it is safe to do so. Hafsar also delivered a virtual speech on the Report Launch of “Pathways to Refugee Wellbeing,” highlighting the importance of the mental well-being of refugees in the refugee-hosting countries and refugee camps.
On 23 October, Hafsar joined the panel discussion on ‘Building bridges: Advancing refugee protection in a divided world’ at the 2025 Kaldor Centre Conference organised by the Kaldor Centre, UNSW. Read More Here
Hafsar also joined the speaker series organised by Settlement Service International (SSI) on 24 October, which focuses on the current refugee crisis, challenges and innovative possibilities to respond to the regional and global emergencies of forced displacement.
APRRN’s new Steering Committee in the making
The nomination process of the 22 new Steering Committee members of APRRN continued in October, and an online election of eligible candidates took place between 27-29 October. The final result will be presented in our November newsletter. We wish to thank the Election Committee - who meticulously oversaw and guided all aspects of the nomination and election process - for their hard work and dedication in ensuring that all aspects adhered to the 2021 APRRN Statutes and the 2021 APRRN Electoral Guidelines and Procedures. A big thank you goes to Dr Alice Nah, Dr Priyanca Mathur and Dr Pillkyu Hwang.
On 17 October, Klaus welcomed our APRRN member, the Danish Refugee Council, at our office in Bangkok. He was introduced to the incoming Executive Director for the Middle East and Asia & and Europe. Lilu Thapa, and the country Director for Myanmar and Bangladesh, Sachitra Chitrakar, by the outgoing Executive Director for Asia and Europe, Gerry Garvey.
They had an initial discussion on potential ways of collaboration between APRRN and DRC with a focus on Bangladesh, Myanmar and Afghanistan, and will pick up discussions and explore ways of collaboration in early 2026.
On 28 October, the new Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute (RWI), Christian Ranheim, and his colleague, Edwna Magnus, visited our office in Bangkok. This followed a previous in-person visit at the RWI Headquarters in Lund in July, where Klaus and Amrita had explored possible collaboration on a number of human rights issues in Afghanistan and in neighbouring countries, including forced displacement and the current trend of forced return.
The introductory meeting identified points of common interest with a view to exploring collaboration, including around access to justice and diversity and inclusion.
Members Spotlight!
Rohingyatographer is a Rohingya refugee-led collective of photographers, writers, and artists documenting the lives, culture, and resilience of the Rohingya community through visual storytelling. Founded in 2021 in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, the initiative amplifies community voices and promotes cultural identity as a form of advocacy and education. Through our publications, exhibitions, workshops, and academic presentations, we aim to preserve collective memory while advancing human rights and dignity.
We have collaborated with institutions including the University of the Arts London, Oxford University, King’s College London, Chittagong University, Jersey Overseas Aid, and Médecins Sans Frontières, and have received support from the Spanish Embassy in Dhaka, UNHCR, and the Global Statelessness Fund. Our work has been featured by The Guardian, Al Jazeera, BBC, and The New Humanitarian, among many others; and exhibited internationally at venues such as the Head On Photo Festival (Sydney), Photoville (New York), Musée de la Civilisation (Québec), and the Liberation War Museum (Dhaka). Rohingyatographer continues to serve as a vital platform for young Rohingya photographers to share their perspectives with the world. Visit Website
Advancing refugee protection in a divided world: UNSW hosts key conference
The 2025 Kaldor Centre Conference shared principled insights on how to sustain refugee protection amid funding crises, misinformation and polarisation. Policymakers, experts, scholars and community leaders - including people who were forced to flee their homelands - gathered at UNSW Sydney this week to address the future of refugee protection.
Refugees International Senior Director for Advocacy Strategy, Mohammed Naeem, delivered a powerful opening keynote at the 2025 Kaldor Centre Conference on 23 October. Reflecting on the theme, 'Building Bridges: Advancing Refugee Protection in a Divided World’, Mohammed spoke eloquently about the need to reckon with a crisis of truth and trust in the current era of recessive policy making - and on the power of imagination and community leadership in driving change. Read his remarks here.
A Safety Net Denied: Why Many People Seeking Protection Are Trapped in Poverty. The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) and Asylum Seekers Centre (ASC) are urging the Australian Government to take immediate action to ensure that people have the right to work to support themselves and to end the systemic exclusion of people seeking asylum from basic services, which is driving thousands into poverty and homelessness.
Equitable Partnerships Toolkit: The Equitable Partnerships Accountability Toolkit (EPAT) is a set of transformative tools co-developed by Asylum Access and a global cohort of 16 individuals from INGOs and local organisations, including PILnet and other Pledge members. The EPAT is designed to strengthen collaboration, accountability, and shared leadership across partnerships. At its core, the EPAT is a set of practical tools that support all partners — particularly local partners, including RLOs — to assess, reflect on, and improve how they work together.
Family Reunification Pledge Community Report
At the last GRF, PILnet and other Pledge signatories also made commitments to use the law to advance different multi-stakeholder pledging initiatives, including the Family Reunification pledge. The Pledge seeks to move one million refugees through family reunification between 2023 - 2027. Learn more about the Pledge and its implementation in the recently released Family Reunification Pledge Community 2024 Report.
Our Thai Board member, Chawarat (Mic) from International Detention Coalition Chawarangkul, contributed to the 10 Points for Reflection: The Future of Refugees and Thai Society.
“Refugees do not have to be a burden. If we establish processes that allow them to participate in Thai society, they may become one of the key answers for Thailand’s future amid today’s global challenges.”
News from the region
Afghanistan:
A group of Afghans approved for German resettlement were flown to Germany from Pakistan, the third group to be transferred under the Merz administration. The government led by Merz suspended the Afghan refugee resettlement program after its election in May, but was forced to resume resettlement flights following legal challenges. About 1,910 Afghans approved for admission to Germany remain in Pakistan, according to German government data.
Afghanistan says it has killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in overnight border operations.
Afghan refugees attempting to return from Pakistan were turned away from border crossings due to clashes between the two countries’ troops along the border. Afghanistan said its forces killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in ‘retaliatory operations’, accusing Pakistan of bombing Kabul and a market in the country's east. Pakistan neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the attacks, but accused Afghanistan of sheltering members of the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group, which it claims has carried out terrorist attacks in Pakistan. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi called for a rapid de-escalation in tensions, and UNHCR subsequently welcomed a 48-hour ceasefire agreed by both sides.
Human Rights Watch: UN Rights Council Creates Afghanistan Accountability Body: Mechanism Will Investigate Grave Abuses by All Actors.
“The resolution puts the Taliban and all others responsible for serious crimes in Afghanistan on notice that evidence is being collected and prepared so they may someday face justice… The resolution responds to calls by Afghan and international human rights groups to address entrenched impunity in Afghanistan. In August 2025, a coalition led by HRD+, a network of Afghan human rights defenders, with support from 108 Afghan and international organisations, reissued an appeal for the investigative mechanism after four years of campaigning. Over the previous year, UN experts and countries from various regions joined civil society groups appealing to the EU to take this step.”
UNHCR: information campaign on the return of Afghan women and girls.
Iran:
Iran Expands Deportation of Undocumented Afghan Migrants
Iran reacted to the reimposition of sanctions by threatening to release hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees into Turkey and Iraq.
Official: Conditions are met for Iranian refugee return
“Hossein Noushabadi, Director General of Parliamentary and Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasized that the necessary conditions are in place for the return of Iranian refugees … provided they refrain from engaging in any criminal activity.”
Iranian authorities launched the second phase of a plan to deport undocumented Afghan nationals from Baharestan, a suburb of Tehran, according to local media outlets. The directorate for immigration in Tehran reported 450,000 Afghans have been returned from the province since the start of the deportation plan.
Pakistan:
Afghans in Pakistan said they fear the crackdown on immigrants by the Pakistani government is intensifying, saying the number of arrests and forced deportations has increased, and homes of Afghan nationals are being demolished. Meanwhile, a growing number of returning Afghan refugees are living in makeshift camps in Afghanistan due to a severe housing shortage in the country. More than 2.2 million Afghans have been returned to Afghanistan from Iran and Pakistan so far this year, according to UNHCR.
Pakistan partially reopened the Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan to enable thousands of returning Afghan refugees stuck at the border to enter Afghanistan. Pakistan closed its border with Afghanistan on 12 October following military clashes in which dozens of troops were reportedly killed, leaving thousands of refugees stranded without access to food or water.
Pakistani security forces shut down several Afghan refugee camps in Balochistan province, evicting some 13.500 residents and destroying their homes, shops and belongings. The move followed local media reports that the government plans to close 16 refugee camps in Balochistan, Khyber, Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces, which currently house more than 90,000 Afghan refugees, as part of its continuing drive to repatriate Afghan nationals.
"The situation of Afghan refugees in Pakistan is deteriorating. Our information shows that Afghans are being forcibly deported from all areas, which has dramatically increased the number of returnees."
Thailand:
Protect Human Rights Defenders Receiving Death Threats: Prominent Thai human rights defenders were threatened after comments on the Thai-Cambodia war.
Thailand grants Myanmar refugees a limited right to work amidst funding cuts.
“… anyone (refugees in Thai Myanmar Border Camps) caught outside without permits faces two years in jail …”
Thailand grants Myanmar refugees working rights.
“The Thai government has reversed a year-long ban to allow Myanmar refugees to work. Aid agencies have welcomed the move, which comes amid US aid cuts and a potential shortage of cheap labour in Thailand… According to Thailand's Ministry of Labour, some 900,000 migrant workers from Cambodia have returned home since a deadly five-day border dispute in July.”
Time to help Rohingya refugees.
“Regional governments and experts last month met at the 14th meeting of the Asia Dialogue on Forced Migration. We are concerned that deteriorating conditions will force an increasing number of Rohingya to flee Myanmar and Cox's Bazar by sea in the coming months.”
Singapore:
Submission to the Universal Periodic Review of Singapore, 52nd Session.
Singapore has yet to ratify several core human rights and labour rights conventions, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Labour Organisation Violence and Harassment Convention (C190), the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, and the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. Refugees and asylum seekers have no legal rights or status in the city-state, including in respect of the principle of non-refoulement.
India:
Rohingya harassed, detained, deported.
“Justice Surya Kant, who is in line to be the next Chief Justice of India, dismissed a plea stating that India has not ratified the concerned international treaty/convention with respect to refugee rights… a series of raids in the capital city, in which the Delhi police arrested nearly 30 African refugees and sent them to the Lampur detention centre. Most of those detained are from Sudan and Somalia; most of them carried valid UNHCR refugee cards.” For a detailed record of proceedings, see here.
Statement by India at the General Debate of the 76th Annual Session of UNHCR Executive Committee (ExCom) [6-10 October 2025] delivered by Shri K.S. Mohammed Hussain, Counsellor & Legal Adviser, Permanent Mission of India, Geneva.
“Our Constitution, adopted over seven decades ago, guarantees to all persons, not merely citizens of India, the basic rights such as rights to life, personal liberty, equality before law and equal protection of laws. While India remains committed to humanitarian assistance and protection of refugees, we believe that safe, speedy and sustainable return of displaced persons and refugees to their homes is the best long-term solution to address refugee influxes. ... We urge the international community to enhance its support to such States engaged in providing humanitarian assistance to refugees.”
Myanmar:
High-level Conference on the Rohingya Muslims & other Minorities in Myanmar - General Assembly | UN.
The Myanmar alliance marks a turning point for the Rohingya.
ACAPS: Myanmar - Beyond the rubble: humanitarian profiles of key townships affected by the March earthquake.
Detailed Report on the UN High-Level Conference on the Rohingya Crisis.
UNHCR Ex-Com (Docs are being uploaded as and when received).
Open Letter on the Myanmar Crisis.
AP tells exclusive story about devastation caused by U.S. foreign aid cuts.
Opinion | “Night is dark for us”: Rohingya refugees need protection before repatriation. “The goal of making it possible for the Rohingya to return home to Myanmar will remain distant until their security and rights are guaranteed.”
Rohingya plight in Myanmar, a ‘test for humanity’.
Remarks at the High-Level Meeting by US Mission to the UN.
High Commissioner Türk to the Rohingya Conference.
Bangladesh:
UNHCR Bangladesh - Operational Update July 2025.
Joint Letter to Bangladesh Chief Adviser Yunus: Regarding Follow-up on Human Rights Civil Society Organisations Meeting during UNGA 2025.Lucky Karim Briefs Member States at a UN High-level Conference on the Rohingya Muslims & Other Minorities.
Rohingya Humanitarian Response: Accessibility audit impact assessment report 2025.
His Excellency Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of the Interim Government.
Rohingya Voices at the UN: Implications for the Protracted Humanitarian Crisis: Amid the grim recitation of the realities facing the 1.2 million Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh came glimmers of hope about the future.
Joint Government of Bangladesh - UNHCR Population Dashboard Bhasan Char as of September 2025.
Three Rohingyas arrested for illegal stay in India; Attempted to go back to Bangladesh. In a late-night raid near the India-Bangladesh border, police arrested three Rohingyas, Abdul Hasim, his wife Rozina Begum, and their son Bilal Mian, for illegally residing in India.
Bangladesh eyes high-level meeting in Qatar over Rohingya repatriation. A high-level official and a very reliable source who works on Myanmar-related issues confirmed the matter to Deshkal News.
Australian minister to launch development plan in Bangladesh. Dr Aly will also visit Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar, home to over 1.1 million displaced Rohingyas.
11 Rohingyas Arrested From Train In Assam's Bongaigaon. One of the accused had been working as a labourer in Hyderabad since 2013.
10 children among 18 Rohingya detained. They were detained by police in Cachar district’s Kalain on Friday while attempting to cross over to Bangladesh with the help of traffickers.
11 Bangladeshi nationals, 10 Rohingyas nabbed by BSF in Tripura. Amid tight security measures during the festive period, the BSF apprehended 21 illegal migrants in a series of coordinated operations across Tripura on Sunday. The group included 11 Bangladeshi nationals detained from various locations in the state.
Rethinking Bangladesh’s Rohingya Response.
“Bangladesh’s model of Rohingya containment is not a temporary holding pattern -- it is politically and economically rewarding for the state. International actors must stop sustaining it.”
Rohingya crisis: Communities without a country, a world without excuse.
Rohingya refugees express feeling unsafe, lacking control over their future.
Japan provides US$3.4 million for lifesaving assistance to Rohingya refugees and host communities.
“Without urgent new funding - at least USD 60 million over the next six months and USD 167 million over the next 12 months, WFP faces a major disruption to its food assistance starting in December 2025.”
Australia:
Osamah is the first to arrive in Australia via this new visa pathway. His long 'limbo' is over.
The first of 20 refugees due to come to Australia as part of the Refugee Student Settlement Pathway (RSSP) has landed in Melbourne. RSSP is a pilot program designed to give refugee students the opportunity to migrate to Australia on Special Humanitarian Visas. RSSP participants are part of Australia’s existing Humanitarian Program allocation of 20,000 people for 2024-25. Refugees registered with UNHCR who fit the age criteria, live in Malaysia, India or Thailand and were eligible to undertake qualifications in fields such as nursing, civil engineering, technology, business or economics, were able to apply as part of the initial cohort.
Australia's refugee policies among the world's harshest: Australian Human Rights Commission President Hugh de Kretser called for the country’s leaders to redirect ‘enormous political, financial, and diplomatic resources’ from Australia’s harsh, harmful policies towards more humane and effective approaches.
The ABC featured Grandmothers Against the Detention of Refugee Children in a story about retirees’ activism. Meet the retiree activists on a mission to tidy the 'mess' of their generation.
As a fourth person was taken back into detention for removal to Nauru, a parliamentary committee concluded that the government’s policy to fast-track removals to Nauru lacked objective legitimacy and could breach Australia’s human rights obligations. An Iraqi man failed in his High Court bid to prevent his transfer to Nauru. The government significantly expanded the contract for offshore processing in Nauru without going to tender, and people sent there reported having to skip meals due to the cost of food.
“The Australian government is spending millions of dollars a year to house asylum seekers, yet many say they cannot afford food and are forced to skip meals”.
When democracies override their own courts: Australia’s dangerous precedent.
“Parliamentary overrides in migration law offer authoritarian regimes a playbook for eroding judicial independence.”
Australia’s “mass migration” myth: The real story is mass deportation.
“Australia is awash with political rhetoric about mass immigration. Headlines, parliamentary speeches, and public commentary insist the nation is being “flooded” with arrivals. Yet the statistics do not bear this out. Immigration intake numbers fluctuate, but the dominant trend of the past decade has not been runaway growth — it has been the unprecedented expansion of deportations. Under the Migration Act 1958 and specifically its notorious section 501 provisions on “character grounds,” deportations have reached historic highs.”
An Afghan women’s football team, comprising players who are in exile, has been approved to play in a friendly tournament in Dubai.
Australia documented the deteriorating security for Afghan refugees in Iran and Pakistan, which has caused fear among the diaspora community in Australia.
The ABC highlighted the situation of a Nepali couple who have been separated from their children for over 13 years because a person’s mode of arrival into Australia determines their family reunion options.
The Administrative Review Tribunal found that a gay man from Malaysia, whose protection claim was refused, risks persecution if he is returned there.
Ararat, in Victoria, is the latest country town to look to refugees and migrants to fill workforce shortages.
At least 29 Americans have applied for protection in Australia.
The number of failed asylum seekers remaining in Australia has passed 100,000. The Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness published their submission to the UN Periodic Review on the right to nationality and the challenges of being stateless in Australia.
New Zealand:
Launch of Legal Health Check for Refugee-Led Organisations - New Zealand Pilot.
As part of a Legal Health Checks for Refugee-led Organisations (RLOs) pilot project in the Asia Pacific, APNOR and PILnet have partnered with international law firm DLA Piper and local RLOs to co-design a Legal Health Check tool. The tool helps RLOs in New Zealand to assess and manage legal risks. Participating RLOs will complete a questionnaire, which is reviewed pro bono by a law firm to produce a legal health report. PILnet will then support RLOs to develop an action plan and connect them with free legal assistance to address needs. The tool was launched at a Legal Health Awareness Workshop on 30 September, and RLOs in New Zealand can now request a Legal Health Check via PILnet’s Legal Assistance Intake form. Another legal health check tool is currently being co-designed with RLOs in Malaysia and is expected to launch in the coming months, with the hope that other countries will follow.
NZ launched this year's Refugee Survey to help the Government better understand the experiences of former refugees and their families.
Other news:
The Trump administration announced a refugee admissions cap of 7,500 for the next fiscal year, a dramatic decrease from the previous limit of 125,000 set by former President Joe Biden, and the lowest ever recorded in US history. Admissions will mainly be allocated to white Afrikaners from South Africa, and ‘other victims of illegal or unjust discrimination in their respective homelands’, according to the federal notice. The South African Government said the US policy is concerning as it appears to be based on a ‘factually inaccurate’ claim of a ‘white genocide’ in South Africa. The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) criticised the Trump administration for ‘politicising’ the refugee admissions program by privileging Afrikaners while continuing to exclude thousands of already vetted and approved refugees.
WHO South-East Asia Regional Youth Council launched: At an event jointly organised with the Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, WHO South-East Asia today launched its Regional Youth Council, an advisory platform for the Organisation, in Colombo, ahead of the Seventy-eighth Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia.
The first member of the so-called NZYQ cohort has been deported to Nauru under a deal between Australia and Nauru worth up to $2.5 billion. Guardian Australia reported that the arrival triggers the first yearly instalment of $408m, of which around $20m will become immediately available to Nauru to ‘facilitate the settlement’, with the remaining $388 going into a sovereign trust fund, which will receive a further $70m top-up each year from Australia under the agreement. Human rights groups and parliamentarians have raised concerns over the secrecy of the agreement, which is subject to a public interest immunity claim.
UNHCR, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) called for immediate action by the international community to address a severe humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where more than 30 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, including 9.6 million displaced people. In addition, the agencies reported that some 2.6 million displaced people have returned home to Khartoum and other areas where fighting has eased, to find their homes and neighbourhoods damaged or destroyed, and a lack of access to essential services.
An asylum seeker from Mali and his 10-year-old son have been confined in Incheon Airport in Seoul for four months, since their asylum applications were denied by South Korean authorities. Lawyers for the family said they have filed a complaint with South Korea’s National Human Rights Commission.
An Iranian asylum seeker has returned to the UK on a small boat after being sent back to France under the ‘one in, one out’ agreement between the two countries. The man was transferred to immigration detention in the UK, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his removal to France would be 'fast-tracked'.
The Swiss government announced proposals to ban asylum seekers from travelling to any other country, including those within the Schengen free-movement area, except in exceptional circumstances. The proposals are subject to a consultation period up to 5 February 2026.
Dutch Migration and Foreign Affairs Minister David van Weel said the government plans to open a ‘transit hub’ for rejected asylum seekers in Uganda under an agreement made with Uganda last month, which could start operating next year. Van Weel said UNHCR and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) had been requested to manage the operation in Uganda.
Reports & Publications
Shadow immigration minister Paul Scarr on the ‘mass migration’ myth – Australian Politics podcast.
‘‘No way out: the closing spaces for Rohingya livelihoods” (Kyaw Thura).
‘The Trump administration is turning back the clock on refugee protections’. (Laura Madokoro and Shauna Labman).
‘Trump’s refugee cap is a cruelty without a constituency. ’ (Gideon Maltz).
‘Deter, Detain, Deport & Demonise: Applying the 4D model to Australia’s removal of non-citizens to Nauru’. (Meg Randolph, Lorena Rivas and Henrietta McNeill-Stowers)
‘The migration debate in Australia’, (Michael Keating). Australia’s population growth rate is returning to normal. Instead of cutting migration, the solution to Australia’s housing crisis is to increase the rate of new dwelling approvals and completions.
Ko Ko Aung, ‘Paper walls at Thailand’s border’. Myanmar’s current emergency is not a sudden rupture but a long arc of military rule that has criminalised dissent, dismantled civil society and pushed millions into precarity.
Digital detention expands under the guise of compassion, report says. A new policy report jointly produced by the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, International Detention Coalition, and Refugee Law Lab, delivers one of the most comprehensive examinations yet of how digital monitoring has become central to U.S. immigration enforcement.
Alternatives to detention? New report shows the hidden costs of digital surveillance
Legal experts call for urgent safeguards to prevent surveillance technologies from undermining the human rights of migrants, refugees and people seeking asylum.
How America's Retreat from Refugee Protection Undermines Global Stability. ANALYSIS BY JOHN SLOCUM.
The UNHCR and the Mayors Migration Council have renewed their strategic partnership to accelerate city-led solutions for refugees and displaced people. With over 70% of the world's displaced population living in urban areas, the renewed partnership acknowledges that cities are not only the first point of contact for those seeking protection but also crucial drivers of inclusion and resilience.
Bali Process 2024-2026 Work Plan, Initiative 5: Identification and support for migrants who may be in a vulnerable situation has involved the piloting of the Screening and Referral Toolkit and the delivery of targeted training programs. Read more here.
Funding opportunities
People Powered - Mentorship Program called Rising Stars (New Zealand), designed to strengthen participatory democracy efforts worldwide, Deadline: 8 December 2025
UN Women has launched the Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa Global Award for Women's Empowerment to recognise and celebrate the outstanding efforts of individuals, civil society, public institutions, and private sector actors working toward gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. Deadline 20 March 2026
International Trans Fund is inviting applications from trans-led grassroots organizations across the world that are working to strengthen community resilience, leadership, and collective action. Deadline 1 December 2025
UN-Habitat Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) has launched a Call for Proposals for not-for-profit organizations, including national and international NGOs in Pakistan, to collaborate on the project “Harmonizing Afghan Refugees and Host Communities in Urban Slums in Pakistan for Peaceful Coexistence and Social, Gender-Positive Inclusiveness.”
The Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) Direct Support Stream is accepting concept notes from eligible applicants in countries with active peace processes. Deadline 31 December 2025
The Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) Rapid Response Window (RRW) is accepting concept notes from eligible applicants in countries with active peace processes (Burma(Myanmar), Nauru, Nepal, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, East Timor (Timor-Leste), Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Viet Nam), Deadline 31 December 2025
The UN Trust Fund has launched a new Call for Proposals to provide four-year grants, offering both core and flexible funds, to civil society organisations working to end violence against women and girls.
The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation is now accepting applications for its HealthPro2 Grant Program covering Food Safety, Nutrition, Community Development, Health, Health & Hygiene, Health care, Malnutrition, Poverty Alleviation, Refugee & Asylum Seekers, Sustainable Development, Sanitation, Water. Deadline 29 December 2025
Call for Proposals: Demonstrate Grants Program, Southeast Asia Gender-Based Violence Prevention Platform
Deadline: Dec 07, 2025
Grant Size: $10,000 to $100,000
Countries/Regions: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma(Myanmar), Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor (Timor-Leste), Viet Nam
Area: Civil Society Development, Disability, Innovation, LGBTQ, Violence Prevention, Gender Equality, Women & Gender
The Demonstrate Grants offer a unique opportunity for women’s rights organisations (WROs) and civil society organisations (CSOs) across Southeast Asia to create and share new knowledge on preventing gender-based violence (GBV).
For more information, visit here.
Young Investigator Award for Early-Career NF Researchers
Deadline: Dec 02, 2025
Countries/Regions: All Countries
Area: Researchers, Youth, Research, Youth & Adolescents
The Young Investigator Award (YIA) by the Children’s Tumor Foundation provides two-year salary support to early-career NF researchers to help them establish themselves as independent investigators.
For more information, visit here.
Open Call: FIP Foundation Early Career Leadership Development Scholarships
Deadline: Jan 07, 2026
Area: , Leadership, Youth & Adolescents
The FIP Foundation, in partnership with the ECPG and the Regional Forums, is offering six scholarships to support young pharmacists or pharmaceutical scientists in attending the FIP World Congress and participating in the Leadership Development Workshop.
For more information, visit here.
Submit Applications for Advocate Grants Program
Deadline: Dec 07, 2025
Grant Size: $10,000 to $100,000
Countries/Regions: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma(Myanmar), Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor (Timor-Leste), Viet Nam
Area: Civil Society Development, Capacity Building, Disability, Leadership, LGBTQ, Violence Prevention, Gender Equality, Women & Gender
The Advocate Grants provide a vital opportunity for organizations across Southeast Asia to lead inclusive and evidence-based advocacy projects that strengthen gender-based violence (GBV) prevention.