Consultant Vacancy; Mapping Legislations related to Freedom of Religion or Belief in Southeast Asia

APHR and the International Panel of Parliamentarians on Freedom of Religion or Belief (IPPFoRB) are implementing a joint project on freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) with a view  to reduce incidences of religious inequalities and discrimination in Southeast Asia through the repeal or revision of discriminatory laws, policies and practices. Among the medium-term goals of the project is for countries in the region to take legal measures to amend or repeal their draft or existing legal frameworks that restrict FoRB. 

A number of countries in Southeast Asia have laws and regulations that discriminate against religious minorities, and restrict people’s right to FoRB. Some of the restrictive legislations also have specific impacts on women belonging to religious groups and minorities. As an example, a number of countries retain blasphemy laws that are often being used against religious minorities, in others, regulations restrict the use of places of worship, only recognize certain religions. As long as these laws remain in place, FoRB will continue to be restricted by States. In the meantime many Constitutions of Southeast Asian countries, for instance, uphold fundamental freedoms and protect FoRB, however the laws in the country often conflict with the principles enshrined in those constitutions. 

As an organization of parliamentarians, APHR is in a unique position to mobilize members of parliament (MPs) to use their legislative mandate to further protect the rights of religious minorities in the region and work towards the repeal of such laws.  To determine which laws in which countries to prioritize, and equip APHR’s MPs with the relevant information to achieve its objective, it is fundamental that APHR knows  all restrictive and positive legal framework, why are they in violation or in support of the international standards relating to FoRB, how are they problematic or positive, and how can they be either retained, promoted, repealed or amended. 

Therefore, APHR is hiring an external consultant to conduct a research project and write a report to map out all existing legislation that restrict FoRB in all ASEAN countries + Timor Leste, as well as positive legislative examples. The findings will be published in a number of comprehensive, yet accessible outputs. 

Please see the Terms of Reference of the consultancy in this link.

Interested applicants are encouraged to apply by 26 June. Please send your CV along with a cover letter and a sample of research works on human rights or freedom of religion or belief to citra@aseanmp.org, and copy desi@aseanmp.org and elise@aseanmp.org.

Look forward to receiving your applications!