ACW and SOMSWD
create working group to draft its ToR
In a joint meeting of the ASEAN Committee on Women (ACW)
and the Senior Officials Meeting on Social Welfare and
Development (SOMSWD) last 29-30 April 2009 in Manila,
government representatives present agreed to create a
working group that will draft the Terms of Reference (ToR)
for establishing an ASEAN commission on the promotion
and protection of the rights of women and children (ACWC).
The participants adopted the terms of reference for the
working group, taking note of the important provisions
of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination
Against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights
of the Child (CRC) as the two are the core human rights
conventions that have been commonly ratified by the ten
ASEAN member states. They also agreed on the possibility
of convening consultations and dialogue sessions with
civil society organizations alongside the working group’s
meetings.
In the open session of the said meeting, experts from
different human rights related organizations shared their
insights on topics associated with the rights of women
and children. Dr. Jean D’Cunha, regional program
director of UNIFEM East and Southeast Asia Office, gave
an overview of the implementation of CEDAW in ASEAN Member
States and the scope of women’s rights. She presented
the gains and gaps in implementing the CEDAW and the importance
of this document in promoting women’s rights. In
the same manner, Ms. Vanessa Tobin of UNICEF gave a brief
background on the implementation of the CRC and the scope
of children’s rights. Both speakers also gave a
situationer on the challenges faced by women and children
in the region. Additionally, Prof. Maureen Maloney of
the Southeast Asia Regional Cooperation in Human Development
(SEARCH) reported on existing human rights mechanisms
in other regions, specifically on women and children.
Finally, Mr. Carlos Medina Jr., Secretary-General of the
Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism, outlined
the significant role played by the Working Group and the
importance of other civil society groups in pushing for
the establishment of a human rights mechanism in ASEAN.
Ultimately, despite the recognition of how extensive
the process may be, women and children’s rights
advocates expressed hope that an ASEAN commission which
will focus on the promotion and protection of their rights
will soon be established.
