ASEAN launches Regional Guideline on Non-Punishment Principle to Strengthen Victim Protection in Trafficking in Persons Cases
JAKARTA, 2 June 2025 – The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC), with the support of the Australian Government funded ASEAN-Australia Counter Trafficking programme, jointly launched the ASEAN Guideline on the Implementation of the Non-Punishment Principle for the Protection of Victims of Trafficking in Persons on 2 June in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The launch of the Guideline marks a significant milestone in ASEAN’s regional efforts to strengthen victim protection in addressing trafficking in persons (TIP), in line with Article 14(7) of the ASEAN Convention Against TIP, Especially Women and Children (ACTIP). The Guideline aims to provide practical direction to ASEAN Member States (AMS) in implementing the non-punishment principle (NPP), ensuring that victims of trafficking are not penalised for unlawful acts they were compelled to commit as a direct consequence of their trafficking experience.
This event was attended by around 130 participants in person and around 130 participants joined online, comprising representatives from ASEAN Sectoral Bodies, ASEAN Dialogue Partners, justice and non-justice agencies, civil society organisations, academia, and international partners. The event featured opening remarks by representatives of AICHR and SOMTC, alongside the Australian Ambassador to ASEAN, and Mugiyanto, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Human Rights of Indonesia, delivered the keynote address.
The launch was followed by a panel discussion featuring ASEAN experts, including the Representative of Indonesia to AICHR for 2019-2024, representative from SOMTC Vietnam, and international partners, including the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNOHCHR) and ASEAN-Australia Counter Trafficking programme International Law and Policy Adviser. The discussion focused on the importance of integrating the NPP into national legal and policy frameworks and enhancing cooperation to support its implementation across the region. Participants showed high enthusiasm towards this progressive step and the future implementation of the Guideline.
In her remarks, Anita Wahid, Representative of Indonesia to AICHR, underscored the importance of upholding human rights and ensuring victim-centered approaches in ASEAN’s response to TIP. F Lilian De Leon, Assistant Secretary for International Relations of the Department of the Interior and Local Government of the Philippines/SOMTC Philippines, further highlighted the collaborative efforts among AMS in bringing the Guideline to fruition.
On 3 June 2025, a closed consultation meeting was convened with SOMTC and AICHR Representatives, including Timor-Leste, to deliberate on practical steps for promoting and implementing the Guideline at the regional and national levels. Partners from the ASEAN Australia Counter Trafficking programme, as well as the UNOHCHR, also participated.
The ASEAN Non-Punishment Guideline is available in English and will be translated into the national languages of AMS. A digital version is accessible on the ASEAN website (ASEAN Guideline on the Implementation of the Non-Punishment Principle for Protection of Victims of Trafficking in Persons – ASEAN Main Portal).
This initiative reflects ASEAN’s strong cross-sectoral commitment to advancing a comprehensive, human rights-based, and victim-centered approach in the fight against TIP.
