Cultivating counter-trafficking leadership and coordination
To achieve substantial and sustained impact in countering-trafficking, institutions require adaptive and resilient leaders who can implement effective responses and navigate complex trafficking landscapes.
The Counter Trafficking in Persons Leadership Excellence in ASEAN Program (LEAP) is funded by Australia through the ASEAN-Australia Counter Trafficking program and is a flagship leadership initiative for mid to senior level counter-trafficking practitioners in the ASEAN region.
Take your leadership LEAP
The CTIP Leadership Excellence in ASEAN Program (LEAP) is a dynamic leadership development program for mid to senior level counter-trafficking government leaders across ASEAN-ACT implementing countries: Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
Through coaching, peer exchange and applied leadership practice, LEAP equips leaders to address complex trafficking challenges and strengthen institutional responses across the region.
2026 LEAP cohort expands regional leadership network
Twenty-four mid to senior government leaders from across Southeast Asia have joined the 2026 LEAP cohort, launched in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam (5-7 August 2026). For the first time, the cohort includes participants from Indonesia, expanding the program’s regional reach and strengthening opportunities for cross-border collaboration.
Representing law enforcement, prosecution, social welfare, victim support, policy and planning, and international cooperation, the cohort brings together leaders from across the counter-trafficking system in Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam.
Over the next nine months, participants will undertake a leadership journey focused on strengthening the skills, networks and partnerships needed to address complex trafficking challenges and drive lasting change. Through shared learning and collaboration, they will explore how leadership can strengthen cooperation across agencies, sectors and borders to better protect victims and combat human trafficking.
2025 LEAP cohort graduates in the Philippines
In 2025, twenty senior counter-trafficking practitioners from across Southeast Asia completed the inaugural CTIP LEAP journey.
The program strengthened leadership confidence, systems thinking, adaptive leadership skills and regional collaboration among practitioners working to combat trafficking in persons.
Graduates now form a growing network of leaders committed to advancing victim-centred and evidence-informed responses across the region.
Independent Review
An independent review of the inaugural CTIP LEAP cohort found strong evidence that participants were applying new leadership approaches within their organisations, strengthening cross-agency collaboration and contributing to systems change across the region.
The review concluded that leadership development is not a peripheral investment, but a critical enabler of sustainable counter-trafficking reform.
Systems thinking and leadership styles
The first module of the 2025 Cohort brought all 20 leaders from Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam together in Bangkok (14-16 January 2025).
The introductory session focused on understanding the interconnectedness of systems that impact leaders, and how motivations, incentives and perceptions influence behaviour in workplace settings.
Authentic leadership journey: story from the Philippines
Sometimes the most impactful and authentic leaders are those working diligently behind the scenes.
Cohort 1 leader Desiree Sumalinog-Fantanalgo (or Des, as people call her) oversees and monitors the implementation of the 5-year National Strategic Action Plan Against Trafficking in Persons of the Philippines, but in her humble opinion she is not a typical leader.