Amnesty International, APCOF and Suaram organized this two-day workshop in Bangkok to strengthen alliances, including within the Campaign, and counter the rising criminalization of protesters and human rights defenders. The workshop was part of a year-long project conducted with a sub-grant from the Campaign.

The event was attended by 18 participants representing 14 organizations defending civic space in five regions: Europe, Southern African, South Asia, South East Asia and South America.

The participants identified trans-regional patterns through which state and corporate actors increasingly criminalize human rights defenders. These include the use of colonial era laws (e.g., sedition, lese-majeste), the use of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), the use of disproportionate charges and sanctions to punish protesters who break the law for reasons of conscience (e.g., to raise awareness on the climate emergency), the use of laws and provisions to restrict or even outlaw the use of public space to express dissent.

They discussed opportunities to engage in cross-regional alliances and cooperation, for example by sharing expertise on national model laws enhancing protection of HRDs and countering the use of SLAPPs, and contributing to the efforts by UN Special Procedures (e.g., the UN Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders under the Aarhus Convention) to advance laws and standards to oppose the criminalization of human rights defenders.

Eleven out of the 14 organizations were not members of the Campaign. They all expressed interest in joining the Campaign and two already did. The organizers are currently discussing specific follow-up activities, including the publication of a policy briefing outlining policy solutions to oppose the rising criminalization of dissent and regular thematic catch-up sessions.