Pressing Forward in 2007- Working Group to Advance VAP Provisions on Human Rights, Lobby for Human Rights Commission in ASEAN Charter

It’s only the beginning of the year but interesting developments for human rights are fast taking place in the region. Foremost among these is the cooperation among the national human rights institutions (NHRIs) in ASEAN and the possibility of establishing a human rights commission in the ASEAN Charter. These were included in the strategy planning meeting of the Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism (Working Group) in Manila, Philippines last March 21-22, 2007.

The NHRIs of the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia are working to have a Declaration of Cooperation. This will formalize their ties and create synergized efforts. The Working Group is keen to meet with the NHRIs more frequently in 2007 for joint human rights activities. Networking among existing national human rights institutions in the region is one of the human rights provisions of the Vientiane Action Programme (VAP). The Working Group, which was tasked by ASEAN in 2005 to help implement the VAP human rights provisions, also keeps track of such developments in the region.

One of the VAP provisions is the establishment of more NHRIs in the region. Representatives from the Cambodian government and civil society groups have formed a joint committee to draft a law that will provide for the establishment of a Cambodian NHRI. Kem Sokha, chairperson of the Cambodian Working Group (CWG), is involved in the initiative. The Working Group will be assisting CWG create proposals to fund activities which will aid in the drafting of the law, such as commissioning human rights experts for inputs.

On the sidelines of their strategic planning, Working Group members had the opportunity to meet with Ambassador Rosario Manalo, chairperson of the High Level Task Force (HLTF) of senior ASEAN officials who are currently drafting the ASEAN Charter. There was an exchange of views on what a human rights commission would imply. The HLTF will be submitting their draft to ASEAN heads of state by November 2007. Working Group members intend to discuss with their respective national governments for the inclusion of the ASEAN human rights commission in the final Charter.

In his introductory note, Malaysian Working Group Chair and former U.N rapporteur Dato Param Cumaraswamy said: “For 12 years we have been working hard for an ASEAN human rights mechanism. Finally we see a light of hope. The challenge now is to formulate what shape the mechanism will take.” As opportunities for human rights in the region grow bigger, hopefully so will the role of the Working Group.