Lahore: A joint regional conference organized by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) has called on South Asia to spearhead efforts by the Global South to reset the human rights agenda. The conference, held on July 26-27, highlighted the Global North’s shortcomings in upholding international human rights laws, particularly in Palestine and Afghanistan.
The event, titled ‘Bridges, Not Boundaries: Building Regional Rights-based Movements in South Asia,’ gathered rights activists, artists, writers, and academics from across the region, including Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
HRCP Secretary-General Harris Khalique, in his welcome address, stressed the need for cross-border solidarity amidst worsening poverty, displacement, and democratic decline in South Asia. Keynote speaker Dr. Syeda Hameed urged renewed people-to-people movements rooted in the region’s shared heritage. Former HRCP chairperson Hina Jilani emphasized the necessity of collective struggle for human rights work to thrive.
The conference’s initial session highlighted the erosion of democratic freedoms, with speakers pointing to shrinking civic spaces and rising authoritarianism. While peaceful activism in Sri Lanka and constitutional safeguards in Nepal provide some optimism, Afghan women continue to face severe oppression under Taliban rule. The session underscored the importance of regional solidarity and youth activism as strategies to reclaim democratic spaces.
A subsequent panel discussion warned of the systematic exclusion of religious and ethnic minorities in India and Bangladesh, and the vulnerability of these communities in Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The speakers identified nationalism and religious majoritarianism as drivers of dehumanization.
Climate justice campaigners at the conference pointed to the climate crisis’s harsh impact on marginalized communities. They called for regional cooperation on environmental justice and better data-sharing to manage resources and prepare for disasters effectively.
In the final plenary session, speakers linked socioeconomic rights with civil and political freedoms, advocating for the revival of regional platforms like SAARC. They noted concerning patterns in the use of repressive laws and emphasized the need for safe spaces for rights activists facing threats. A joint memorandum on Gaza’s human rights situation was proposed by SAHR co-chair Roshmi Goswami. HRCP chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt concluded that cross-border solidarity is essential for progress.