Working Group for ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism

The Initiative for an intergovernmental human rights for Southeast Asia

The Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism’s primary goal is to establish a regional human rights commission for the ASEAN. More>




ASEAN Seeks to Protect and Promote Migrant Workers Rights

About 13.5 million migrant workers from ASEAN Member States have fanned out to work in other countries across the globe. Of this number, over 5 million are working within ASEAN. As part of ASEAN’s commitment to protect and promote the rights of migrant workers, the ASEAN Committee on the Implementation of the ASEAN Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers (ACMW) convened the 3rd ASEAN Forum on Migrant Labour in Ha Noi from 19 to 21 July 2010. This year’s Forum carried the theme “Enhancing Awareness and Information Services to Protect the Rights of Migrant Workers”. More>



Inaugurated: ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children

Ha Noi, 7 April 2010

ASEAN Commission Inauguration

The ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) was inaugurated today in a ceremony held in Ha Noi in the lead-up towards the 16th ASEAN Summit.

The inauguration of the Commission was officiated by the Prime Minister of Viet Nam, H.E. Nguyen Tan Dung, and the Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, H.E. Mrs Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. The inauguration comes within the framework of the 3rd Meeting of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council (ASCC), which was convened at the National Convention Centre in Ha Noi. It was witnessed by the ASEAN Ministers responsible for ASCC and for Social Welfare and Development, in addition to representatives from the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR), the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Social Welfare and Development and the ASEAN Committee on Women. Representatives from several UN agencies such as UNICEF and UNIFEM and from relevant ministries in Viet Nam were also present. More>



The 2010 Presidential Hopefuls and a Human Rights Agenda

Chairperson Wigberto E. TañadaFor its latest Kapihan, the Philippine Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism (PWG) decided to move away from its traditional forum on the prevailing human rights situation in the country. According to PWG Chairperson Wigberto E. Tañada, the reformatting of this particular Kapihan was critical in light of the 2010 elections and the significance of getting the presidential candidates to present and commit to a concrete human rights action plan.

This Kapihan entitled “Towards a Meaningful Human Rights Agenda,” will be conducted in a two-part forum series. The first one, which was held last 12 January 2010, gathered the basic and/or marginalized sectors and afforded them the opportunity to discuss priority issues which they believe should be included in the next administration’s human rights agenda. Representatives from groups working with labor, persons with disabilities, migrant workers, women, youth, civil and political rights, indigenous peoples, urban poor, fisherfolks and farmers, the public sector, children and LGBTs were present in the said forum wherein apart from highlighting their human rights concerns, participants were also given the opportunity to make recommendations and suggestions on how to address such issues. More>



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