The Digital Rights in Asia-Pacific Assembly (DRAPAC) 2025
26 August 2025 @ 10:00 am – 28 August 2025 @ 5:30 pm Malaysia/Kuala Lumpur
AICB Centre for Excellence, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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The Digital Rights in Asia-Pacific Assembly (DRAPAC) 2025 is a pivotal gathering of digital rights advocates, policymakers, and tech experts dedicated to discussing and addressing pressing digital rights issues in the Asia Pacific region.
Below are some of the events Access Now will be joining:
Day 1, 26 August
Tending to the network: the regional scene of digital security support
4:00pm–5:20pm, Kuala Lumpur time | Human Rights Tech Commons Southwest Corner, Second Floor, AICB Centre for Excellence
This social gathering brings together digital security support specialists from across the region to connect and discuss shared experiences and struggles. It is open to anyone providing digital security support to human rights defenders in the region, whether you’re a trainer, researcher, helpline staff, etc. The aim is to create a space where participants can surface their needs, intentions, and potential or future plans where others can support. Hosted by Digital Defenders Partnership (DDP) and Access Now’s Digital Security Helpline.
Day 2, 27 August
Digging deeper: how to embed infrastructure considerations within our work
10:00am–10:50am, Kuala Lumpur time | Theatrette 1.12, First Floor, AICB Centre for Excellence
Digital infrastructure decisions — regarding everything from data centers and cloud architecture to internet exchange points and submarine cables — have deep implications for rights, equity, and resilience. This session will explore why civil society must grapple with the politics of infrastructure and how to do so effectively. Featuring Darika Bamrungchok, Asia Pacific Policy Analyst at Access Now, who will surface regional case studies and entry points for advocacy collaboration.
Designing rights-respecting, culturally sensitive and inclusive DPI
11:00am–11:50am, Kuala Lumpur time | Room 2.12, Second Floor, AICB Centre for Excellence
Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is foundational, but without rights-centered design, it can entrench exclusion or surveillance. This ideation workshop spotlights inclusive DPI frameworks tailored to cultural contexts across Asia‑Pacific. Raman Jit Singh Chima, Asia Pacific Policy Director at Access Now, will join the conversation to discuss strategies for embedding rights-based policymaking into DPI rollouts and policy frameworks.
From Vienna to Hanoi: how the UN Convention against Cybercrime will reshape Asia-Pacific
12:00pm–12:50pm, Kuala Lumpur time | Room 2.12, Second Floor, AICB Centre for Excellence
The UN Cybercrime Convention, recently adopted after years of negotiations, is poised to impact national laws and enforcement practices across the region. This session will unpack the treaty’s implications for rights, sovereignty, and cybersecurity in Asia-Pacific, and explore how civil society can engage with implementation processes. Hosted by Access Now, the panel includes Faiz Naeem, Asia Pacific Program Associate at Access Now, Raman Jit Singh Chima, Asia Pacific Policy Director at Access Now, Michael Caster, Head of Global China Programme at Article 19, and Sanhawan (Kay) Srisod, Senior Legal Adviser at ICJ
Future of Digital Rights in ASEAN – consultation on Cybersecurity, Digital Economy, and Artificial Intelligence
12:00pm–12:50pm, Kuala Lumpur time | Room 2.12, Second Floor, AICB Centre for Excellence
As ASEAN develops frameworks on cybersecurity, AI, and digital trade, human rights must remain central. This roundtable consultation brings together civil society voices and policy thinkers to align advocacy strategies and enhance regional participation. It features Laura Naw, East Asia and ASEAN Programme Officer at FORUM‑ASIA, Rachel Arinii Judhistari, Lead Public Policy Speacialist Asia at Wikimedia Foundation, Darika Bamrungchok Asia Pacific Policy Analyst at Access Now, and Lorenzo Urbinati, Strategic Adviser at Oxfam, convened by Oxfam International alongside co‑hosts Wikimedia Foundation, FORUM‑ASIA, EngageMedia, and Access Now.