Philippine Working Group Celebrates UDHR 60th Anniversary

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) turned 60 years old on December 10, 2008. Often described as the document with “the most impact on modern history”, the UDHR’s anniversary was celebrated around the world. In the Philippines, the Philippine Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism (PWG) commemorated the special day by carrying the UDHR anniversary’s theme of “justice and dignity for all” as the main discussion point of its Kapihan on the Human Rights Situation Today. Co-organized by the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHR) and supported by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty (FNF). The Kapihan is an annual forum where representatives from the government and civil society have the opportunity to update each other through the presentation of their end of the year human rights reports.

PWG Secretary-General Carlos Medina Jr., in his welcome remarks, pointed to the UDHR as the inspiration for the creation of regional systems in the world which help protect human rights. While Southeast Asia currently does not have such a system, Medina reported that the member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have recently ratified their Charter which has a provision that calls for the creation of an ASEAN human rights body (AHRB). The AHRB is slated to be setup by 2009.

While a number of global triumphs for human rights were acknowledged by civil society groups, they also lamented that social justice remains elusive for the majority of Filipinos. The 2008 human rights report of the Alliance for the Advancement for People’s Rights (KARAPATAN), presented by Secretary-General Marie Hilao-Enriquez, noted the displacement of civilians in Mindanao due to renewed fighting between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front from June to July. In turn, Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) Executive Director Max De Mesa reported on three forces which will have an impact on the human rights situation in the Philippines in the next two years: (1) the national elections in 2010; (2) the self-imposed deadline of the government to end all insurgencies; and (3) the effect of the global financial crisis on the poor and marginalized. Against this bleak backdrop, Hilao-Enriquez and De Mesa gave credit to human rights defenders who continued to promote and protect human rights through perseverance and strong organizing.

The CHR was also present to give its update on the human rights situation in the country, which reflected several similarities to the civil society reports. Chairperson Leila De Lima reported that some of the main hindrances that the CHR faced in addressing violations were the “inferior state of evidence gathering”, shortcomings of the law against demolition and forced resettlement, and the lack in resources to reach out to sectors such as migrant workers. The CHR chairperson then enjoined everyone to do their share in improving the human rights situation in the country. “Lahat tayo ay may ‘k’ dahil lahat tayo ay may karapatan,” she said.

Complementing the human rights initiatives of those working on the ground is the legislative agenda of the Committee on Human Rights of the House of Representatives. Atty. Ricardo Sunga III, who attended on behalf of Committee Chair Lorenzo Tañada III, shared information on proposed legislation in 2008 that would help improve the human rights situation. Among these were inquiries in aid of legislation on extrajudicial killings and arbitrary arrests. In addition, Sunga also said that there were bills being developed to address torture and to provide compensation to non-combatants.

Members of the international community and the diplomatic corps were present in the Kapihan to show solidarity. Among those who gave messages of support were FNF Resident Representative Siegfried Herzog and ad interim UNDP Country Representative Renaud Meyer. United States Ambassador Kristie Kenney, who was also present, praised the work of the civil society, labor groups, faith groups, and the governments for their contributions to human rights. She remarked, “The UDHR stands as a golden ideal for which we all strive. All of us have a role to play in this. Like Manny Pacquiao we can all be champions. I urge everyone to continue in their work… what we should do is to make sure the human rights of all continues to be protected.”