BNA'S MANAGING PARTNER AND LEGAL EXPERT ATTEND CIVIL SOCIETY REGIONAL FORUM ON ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS IN ASEAN 2025
On April 4th and 5th, 2025, Civil Society Regional Forum on Environmental Rights in ASEAN 2025 took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Representing BNA Legal were Fouder, Managing Partner Nguyen Thuy Dung, and the company's legal expert, who participated in the forum as representatives while also bringing a deep concern for pressing environmental issues in the region.
This forum took place over 2 days. On the first day, the forum focused on sharing and discussing the foundation: starting with an overview, followed by CSOs from 6 ASEAN countries (Indonesia, Philippines, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar) sharing updates and practical experiences to discuss in depth the aspects of environmental rights in Southeast Asia, including CSO participation, and key issues to guide future operational development.
The second day focused on dialogue and finalizing actions: an important dialogue session with senior representatives from the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM), where delegates worked together to discuss directions and finalize joint documents (such as Declarations, Position Papers, or Press Releases) expressing the unified views of the CSO bloc.
With the resounding success of the forum, demonstrating the effective cooperation between the Asian Research Institute for Environmental Law (ARIEL), the Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL), and the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW), ARIEL and ELAW's hosting of this forum provided an extremely professional and dignified space for the forum.
Participating in Civil Society Regional Forum on Environmental Rights in ASEAN 2025, representatives from BNA Legal had the opportunity to learn deeply about the urgent environmental law issues in the region and practical experiences from CSOs, thereby gaining a clearer picture of the diverse and complex environmental challenges facing the region, while also gaining a deeper understanding of the key role of law and multilateral cooperation in protecting environmental rights for communities.
