24th Informal Seminar on Human Rights:

“The Future of Human Rights – From Local to Global“ 

12-14 October 2026 | Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

The human rights landscape across Asia and Europe is being reshaped by rapid technological change, shifting geopolitics, climate pressures, and evolving governance. While international human rights norms remain universal in principle, their enforcement is increasingly uneven and weakened by selective state compliance, resource constraints, and a fraying multilateral order. This leaves a persistent gap between agreed standards and the protections people actually experience on the ground.

Against this backdrop, the 24th Informal ASEM Human Rights Seminar will bring together government representatives, National Human Rights Institutions, civil society, academia, and international organisations from across Asia and Europe to translate discussion into concrete, actionable recommendations at the domestic, regional, and global levels. The focus throughout will be on identifying realistic steps to strengthen the current system, reinforcing its foundations rather than reinventing them, and renewing its relevance for the years ahead.

Discussions will be structured around three interconnected levels of human rights protection –global, regional, and domestic– reflecting the conviction that meaningful protection requires coherent engagement across all levels of governance and society. Participants will convene in dedicated working groups on each dimension, with findings presented in plenary to inform the Seminar’s overall conclusions. The Working Group discussion questions, along with further details on the Seminar, can be found in the ASEMHRS24 Concept Note.

The discussions will be informed by the Background Paper, Asia-Europe and the Future of Human Rights: Bridge-Building for Shared Pathways, by Professor Vitit Muntarbhorn (Chulalongkorn University), Lead Rapporteur of the Seminar, and Dr Domenico Zipoli (Geneva Human Rights Hub). Looking through a global, regional and national lens, the paper reviews current reform efforts and lessons from both regions, and offers recommendations for strengthened Asia-Europe cooperation. Read the Background Paper.

The Seminar is co-hosted by the National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia. It continues nearly three decades of open, inclusive dialogue under the Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights series, this time in a location symbolically placed between the two regions.

Capacity-Building Programme: From Human Rights Mechanisms to National Implementation

The Seminar will be followed by a two-day Capacity-Building Programme on 15 and 16 October 2026 in Ulaanbaatar, delivered by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Open to selected Seminar participants, it will focus on how recommendations from UN human rights mechanisms can be turned into national action. Through expert input, a multi-stakeholder simulation and a practical clinic on reporting, participants will gain practical skills and tools to strengthen implementation and follow-up in their own countries.

TARGET AUDIENCE

The Seminar is designed for diverse stakeholders from across Asia and Europe. It particularly targets:

• Government representatives (particularly those engaged in human rights policy and implementation)
• National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) and ombuds institutions
• Civil society organisations and human rights practitioners (including youth organisations working on human rights)
• Academics, researchers, and legal experts with a demonstrated interest or expertise in the field
• International and regional organisations engaged in human rights

PARTICIPATION,  ELIGIBILITY & FORMAT OF THE SEMINAR

• Relevant participants belonging to the civil society from Asia and Europe are selected by the Co-organisers either through a call for application or direct invitation. The civil society participants comprise human rights experts & practitioners from civil society organisations (CSOs), non-governmental organisations (NGOs) & academia (universities, research institutes & think tanks)
• Representatives of ASEM Partners’ Ministries / government agencies are nominated by ASEM Partners.
• The Seminar also welcome representatives from National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), relevant international /regional / inter-governmental organisations, as well as from the private sector.
• The format of the 3-day Seminar consists of plenary sessions, expert panel discussions, and Working Group discussions which are held under the Chatham House Rule.
• Participants are expected to act as multipliers, sharing outcomes and insights from the Seminar within their own institutions and networks to extend its impact beyond the Seminar room.

All participants must be citizens of ASEM Partner countries, and working proficiency in English is also required.  A strong knowledge of and/or interest in human rights is desirable, and a willingness to actively share and contribute to discussion is encouraged.

TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATION

The co-organisers will cover the following for all selected participants:

• Accommodation for the duration of the Seminar (and Training Programme)
• Meals as per the programme

For civil society representatives, the co-organisers will additionally cover:

• • Economy class airfare (point-to-point) to and from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, reimbursed up to a maximum ceiling.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

• Increased awareness and shared understanding of challenges and opportunities shaping the future of human rights protection across local, regional, and global levels.
• Identification of gaps, priorities, and forward-looking recommendations for action across government, NHRIs, civil society, academia, and international organisations.
• Strengthened collaboration and networks among ASEM partners to support ongoing cooperation, knowledge-sharing, and joint action across Asia and Europe.

HOW TO APPLY

The open call for applications has now closed.

We would like to thank everyone who applied for their interest in this year’s Seminar. Given the high number of applications received, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted directly regarding the outcome of their application by 16 September.  Due to the volume of applications, we regret that we are unable to respond individually to every applicant.

We appreciate your understanding.

ABOUT THE ORGANISERS

The Informal Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Seminar on Human Rights series was launched in 1997 to strengthen relations between civil society actors and governments in Asia and Europe on human rights issues.

The Seminar series is organised by the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), which has acted as Secretariat since 2000, with the support from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.

Supervision of the Seminar is entrusted to a Steering Committee, composed of ASEF and its supporting partners, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, the European Union, and the Raoul Wallenberg Institute.

The 24th Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights (ASEMHRS24) is hosted by the National Human Rights Commission of Mongolia, in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia.