http://www.aseanhrmech.org The Initiative for an Intergovernmental Human Rights Commission for Southeast Asia http://www.aseanhrmech.org/images/rwg-logo.gif http://www.aseanhrmech.org/news/asean-acknowledges-working-groups-efforts.html Thu, 23 Jul 2008 18:28:00 GMT Foreign Ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) closed the 41st ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) in Singapore on July 21, 2008 with the release of a Joint Communiqué, a document which summed up their discussions. Among issues like regional security, narrowing the development gap, and disaster management, the Joint Communiqué mentioned steps taken for the ASEAN Charter and human rights in the region. On this issue, the Foreign Ministers acknowledged the role of the Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism: http://www.aseanhrmech.org/news/asean-sec-gen-pledges-support-on-rwg.html Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:14:00 GMT Recognizing that "the issue of human rights is currently defining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)", Secretary-General Dr. Surin Pitsuwan held a meeting with the Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism (Working Group) at the sidelines of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Singapore on July 19, 2008. http://www.aseanhrmech.org/news/asean-secretary-general-feedback-from-civil-society.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:18:00 GMT SINGAPORE, Singapore -- A panel that will draft terms of reference for a Southeast Asian human rights body aims to complete its work within a year, a regional official said Saturday. http://www.aseanhrmech.org/news/pwg-popularizes-ASEAN-charter.html Thu, 10 July 2008 08:14:00 GMT The Philippine Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism (PWG), together with member organizations Philippine Alliance for Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) and the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP), held the first of a series of consultations in Manila on June 10, 2008 on the regional human rights body that the ASEAN Charter promises. http://www.aseanhrmech.org/news/maruah-organizes-public-forum.html Thu, 10 July 2008 08:10:00 GMT The U.N.'s work on human rights issues worldwide remains relevant but the ASEAN human rights body, once created, can provide an alternative in addressing violations in the region. In order to raise public consciousness on the ASEAN human rights body in the city-state, MARUAH Singapore, with the support of the Asia-Europe Foundation, held a forum on June 11, 2008. http://www.aseanhrmech.org/news/singapore-hosts-7th-workshop.html Wed, 17 Jun 2008 14:52:00 GMT Singapore hosted the 7th Workshop on the ASEAN Regional Mechanism on Human Rights from 12-13 June 2008, a first of its kind in the country. It was co-organized by the Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism (Working Group) and the Singapore Institute for International Affairs with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore. http://www.aseanhrmech.org/news/human-rights-advocates-discuss-hr-body.html Thu, 22 May 2008 15:06:00 GMT Despite having varying views on the newly-adopted Charter of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), human rights advocates want to see how they can push the Charter's provision on human rights further. One of the early venues for discussion was the Colloquium on Human Rights (AICOHR), a conference organized by ASEAN-ISIS on the most pertinent human rights issues facing the region each year. Held in Manila, the Philippines from 1-2 May 2008, this year's AICOHR focused on the opportunities for the ASEAN human rights body, the establishment of which is called for in the Charter. http://www.aseanhrmech.org/news/asean-to-proceed-with-commission.html Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:53:00 GMT Participants of a Joint Roundtable Discussion (JRD) organized by the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) affirmed that the establishment of a Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children will proceed independently and separately from the ASEAN human rights body, which is also currently being developed. http://www.aseanhrmech.org/news/thai-working-group-special-citation.html Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:51:00 GMT Dr. Sriprapha Petcharamesree, chairperson of the Thai Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism (Thai Working Group), received a special citation for her outstanding human rights work from the Jose W. Diokno Foundation on February 27, 2008. http://www.aseanhrmech.org/news/pressing-forward-in-2008.html Thu, 06 Mar 2008 11:00:00 GMT Members of the Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism (Working Group) held their strategic planning meeting in Singapore on February 21-23, 2008. http://www.aseanhrmech.org/news/brunei-malaysia-lao-ratify-asean-charter.html Thu, 28 Feb 2008 19:34:00 GMT JAKARTA, February 20, 2008 (ASEAN Secretariat) - Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, and Lao PDR have joined Singapore in ratifying the ASEAN Charter. http://www.aseanhrmech.org/news/cambodian-civil-societies-continues.html Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:18:00 GMT A representative from Cambodian civil society confirmed that the first draft of the law which will enable the establishment of a national human rights institution (NHRI) has been completed. Human rights commissions which comply with the principles- such as independence from government-established under the United Nations accreditation system are called NHRIs. They must follow the Paris Principles, which are minimum guidelines which human rights institutions follow tin order to effectively promote and protect human rights in a country. http://www.aseanhrmech.org/news/national-human-rights-commission-pledge.html Mon, 18 Feb 2008 22:43:00 GMT The national human rights institutions of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand are standing united in support of a human rights body for the region. The provision for the body is provided for in the newly signed Charter of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The terms of reference (TOR) for the body, however, has yet to be fleshed out by ASEAN foreign ministers. http://www.aseanhrmech.org/news/philippine-working-group-2007-human-rights-record.html Mon, 28 Jan 2008 21:27:00 GMT About 200 participants from various sectors attended the annual human rights forum organized by the Philippine Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism (PWG). Held in Quezon City on December 12, 2007, the Kapihan on Addressing the Human Rights Situation in the Philippines Today featured reports from civil society groups and the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHR). By way of responding to civil society concerns, representatives from the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government presented their human rights programs. http://www.aseanhrmech.org/news/singapore-ratifies-new-asean-charter.html Mon, 14 Jan 2008 18:20:00 GMT JAKARTA, Jan 7, 2008 (AFP) — Singapore became the first ASEAN member on Monday to formally complete its ratification of the political and economic group's new landmark charter aimed at transforming the bloc. http://www.aseanhrmech.org/news/work-terms-of-reference-for-human-rights.html Thu, 20 Dec 2007 18:00:00 GMT The newly-adopted Charter of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) calls for the establishment of a regional human rights body. The terms of reference (TOR)- which will define the mandate and structure of the body- will be crafted at a later date by the ASEAN foreign ministers. Realizing that the TOR is the first step towards the formation of the regional human rights body, the Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism (Working Group) held a Roundtable Discussion which also discussed the body as mandated in the Charter. Held on December 17 to 18, 2007 in Manila, Philippines, the Roundtable was co-organized with the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines (DFA) and the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHR). The Roundtable brought together participants from the governments of all ASEAN Member States, as well as national human rights institutions in the region, and observers from partner funding agencies. http://www.aseanhrmech.org/news/parliamentarians-call-of-asean-human-rights-body.html Wed, 12 Dec 2007 16:03:00 GMT The heads of state of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) signed a Charter that will turn the regional bloc into a rules-based organization. The Charter embodies ASEAN's commitment to the principles of good governance and the rule of law. It also provides for the establishment of a regional human rights body. Now, it is left to parliamentarians in each ASEAN member-state to ratify the Charter before it can be implemented. By way of preparing for the next stage of the Charter process, the ASEAN Inter-parliamentary Caucus on Good Governance (AIPCGG) held a colloquium at the Parliament House in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 3-4 December 2007 themed "good governance, rule of law, and human rights: the way forward for ASEAN". Co-organized by the Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism (Working Group) and supported by the Malaysian government, the colloquium was the first major ASEAN-wide event after the signing of the ASEAN Charter. It was attended by members of parliament from ASEAN member-states and representatives of civil society. http://www.aseanhrmech.org/news/working-group-statement-on-asean-charter.html Thu, 22 Nov 2007 15:27:00 GMT The Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism (Working Group)congratulates the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) for transforming itself into a rules-based, legal entity through the adoption of an ASEAN Charter. We are indeed looking forward to an ASEAN governed by “the principles of democracy, the rule of law and good governance” and where there is "respect for and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms". http://www.aseanhrmech.org/news/index.html Thu, 26 Apr 2007 17:56:00 GMT Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism News Archive