GENEVA (22 March 2023) – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Wednesday said the adoption in Uganda of draconian new legislation targeting lesbian, gay and bisexual people was devastating and deeply disturbing, and called on President Yoweri Museveni not to promulgate it into law.

What: Launch of Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report 2023 When: Wednesday, 22 March 2023, 11.00am – 12.00pm (UTC+7) Where: In-person at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand, Penthouse, Maneeya Centre, Ploenchit Road, Bangkok and online via ZOOM

To document these challenges and provide insight into the situation, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and the Commission for Disappeared Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) collaborated on a Joint analysis on the situation of defenders in Asia.

One of the most important aspects of the draft exploitation regulations for deep sea mining—the protection and preservation of the marine environment—came into the spotlight. Delegates repeatedly underscored the need for robust provisions as the protection of the marine environment is high on many delegations' priority list.