On 19 June 2020, the Asia Pacific Network of Refugees (APNOR) convened its first virtual regional conference, focusing on the theme of Refugee Leadership during COVID-19 and beyond. The conference was held to align with World Refugee Day and involved presentations from 12 refugee leaders living in nine countries across the region (Australia, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand) as well as representatives from UNHCR, the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN) and Open Society Foundation. 138 participants joined the online conference, representing a broad spectrum of stakeholders – refugees, refugee-led organizations, government, non-government organizations, funding partners, academia, faith-based networks and interested individuals. 

The following report provides an overview of the event, key messages from presentations, as well as questions and interventions from participants that were posted through the Q&A and chat functions in Zoom. Responses to questions and follow-up links and information are also included in this report.