Between October and November 2025, Dr. James Gomez led Asia Centre’s engagements in Denmark to solidify existing partnerships and forge new ones. The focus was on building collaboration around human rights issues and positioning the Centre as a regional implementing partner.
During this period, Dr. Gomez participated in three major conferences. The first was held on 28 October 2025, where Dr. Gomez attended the Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in Practice conference in Copenhagen, organised by the Center for Church-Based Development (CKU) and Digni. The conference brought together Danish and Norwegian grantholders, international partners, and FoRB stakeholders to share insights from the FoRB Learning Review, exchange practical approaches, and strengthen the implementation of FoRB initiatives worldwide. It was an opportunity for the Asia Centre to reconnect with FORB partners in Europe.
The second, from 29 to 31 October, was the 23rd Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights and Artificial Intelligence, where Dr. Gomez participated in discussions that explored the intersection of emerging technologies and human rights. During the seminar, Dr. Gomez noted that while the EU is developing consolidated hard laws on AI, much of Asia still relies on non-binding guidelines. As a result, he said, CSOs and human rights defenders in Asia would likely choose to refer to international treaties to point out rights gaps, while governments can be expected to adapt elements of the EU framework for national laws that focus on state security rather than on individual rights. Watch a short video of his comments here.
Dr. Gomez returned to Copenhagen for the third conference on 10th November 2025. This time to speak on the panel “Protecting Democracy: Tackling Disinformation in Elections”, during the Copenhagen Conference on Information Integrity held at UN City, Copenhagen, 11-12 November. During the panel discussion, Dr. Gomez noted that election campaigning is continuous, and that it’s half-truths that make up the bulk of disinformation. He drew attention to the rise of “Incentive Politics” in Asia which he explains in the short video here.
Prior to the start of the conferences, Dr. Gomez had meetings with several Danish INGOs. On 27 October 2025, Dr. James Gomez met with the Danish Institute for Human Rights. As it was a first meeting, both introduced each other’s organisations and discussed topics on democracy, human rights, and technology. During the meeting, Dr. Gomez was also introduced to the Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI), a project supported by DANIDA, the Danish International Development Agency and funded by Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which aims to strengthen democratic processes, protect human rights, and build digital resilience in civil society through practical strategies and technology-focused interventions. Both organisations agreed to connect further on this topic.
Later that day, Dr. Gomez visited the 200 year old Danmission in Hellerup, Copenhagen. Since 2023, Asia Centre has cooperated with Danmission in the region, hence it was an opportunity to meet up with the leadership team in Denmark. The discussion centered on developing joint project ideas for implementation in Asia.
On 27 October, Dr. Gomez met with key members of the International Media Support (IMS) team at its office at Vox House, Ryparken, Copenhagen. The meeting was an opportunity for Asia Centre to present its regional implementation experience as well as update the IMS team on the ongoing project on climate disinformation and indigenous people in Asia. Dr. Gomez also received some updates on IMS’s projects in Asia, and both organisations expressed a continued desire to work together.
This visit to Copenhagen marks a new milestone for Asia Centre, expanding its presence and partnerships in Denmark. By engaging in key discussions and forging collaborative ties in Copenhagen, Dr. Gomez advanced Asia Centre’s work as a regional implementing partner on human rights in a rapidly evolving political and technological landscape.
