Launch of the Asia Alliance for Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Legislation

The rights to equality and non-discrimination are essential components of international human rights law. However, at the domestic level, the reality often falls short. Since discrimination manifests in many forms, piecemeal legislation is insufficient. Comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation is therefore necessary to prohibit all forms of discrimination across all areas of life.

To advance equality and combat all forms of discrimination across Asia, the Asia Alliance for Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Legislation was officially launched on 23 September. We are proud that IMADR is one of its founding organisations.

PDF version can be found here.

Bangkok Announcement of the Launch of the Asia Alliance
for Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Legislation

Bangkok, Thailand
23 September 2026

We, representatives of civil society organisations, coalitions and social movements working to advance comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation across Asia as well as in our respective countries and contexts, gathered in Bangkok and online on 23 September 2026 at the Regional Commemorative Event marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action (DDPA), hereby announce the establishment of the Asia Alliance for Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Legislation.

The Alliance is established in recognition of the persistent and widespread discrimination experienced by individuals and communities across Asia on diverse and often intersecting grounds, including race, descent, caste, ethnicity, nationality, religion or belief, disability, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, occupation, health status and other characteristics. These forms of discrimination continue to undermine human dignity, equality, social inclusion and access to justice throughout the region.

We reaffirm that comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation is an essential component of democratic governance, sustainable development and the fufilment of human rights. Such legislation should prohibit discrimination in both public and private spheres, recognise multiple and intersecting forms of both direct and indirect discrimination, provide accessible and effective remedies, and establish independent and adequately resourced equality bodies to ensure implementation, enforcement and accountability.

Through the establishment of this Alliance, we commit ourselves to strengthening solidarity, cooperation and collective action among civil society organisations, coalitions and social movements working to advance equality and non-discrimination across Asia. We seek to create a platform for mutual learning, exchange of experiences, sharing of resources and promotion of effective advocacy strategies in support of comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation and its effective implementation. We also aspire to develop the Alliance as a regional hub for collaborative research and knowledge production, generating credible evidence to inform law, policy and collective advocacy for equality and non-discrimination across Asia.

The Alliance shall be guided by the universal principles of human rights, human dignity, non-discrimination, equality, dignity, inclusiveness, intersectionality, participation, independence, accountability and solidarity.

As initial areas of cooperation, we intend to:

1. Support national and regional advocacy initiatives aimed at advancing comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation;
2. Facilitate regular exchange of information, experiences and good practices among members;
3. Develop and maintain a shared repository of legislative, policy, advocacy and research resources;
4. Strengthen engagement with international and regional human rights mechanisms;

We express our appreciation to all organizations, coalitions and individuals who contributed to this initiative and to the preparatory process that made its establishment possible. We further acknowledge the facilitation and technical support provided by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) throughout the process.

Today, we launch the Asia Alliance for Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Legislation with a shared commitment to advancing equality, combating discrimination in all its forms, and ensuring that all persons can live with dignity, enjoy their human rights, and benefit from equal protection under the law.

Adopted in Bangkok, Thailand, on 23 September 2026.

Founding Organizations, Coalitions and Movements

• International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR), Japan
• South Korean Coalition for Anti-Discrimination Legislation, Republic of Korea
• LGBT Centre, Mongolia
• Stop the Discrimination Coalition, the Philippines
• Koalisi Nasional Kelompok Rentan Anti Diskriminasi (KAIN), Indonesia
• People’s Movement to Eliminate Discrimination (MovED), Thailand
• National Coalition for Equality and Non-Discrimination, Nepal
• Centre for Law and Policy Research (CLPR), India
• Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF), Bangladesh
• Law Connect Asia, India
• Centre for Law and Justice (CLJ), Pakistan