Visayan Civil Society Organizations Meet, Give Recommendations for ASEAN Human Rights Body

Workshop groups discuss grassroot concerns for the ASEAN human rights body.

Human rights organizations, Church groups, party- lists, and other grass roots-based groups from the Visayas in the Philippines gathered in Cebu City on July 31, 2008 to contribute their recommendations for the proposed human rights body of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The activity was organized by the Philippine Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism (PWG) and two of its member organizations, the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP) and the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA).

WG Secretary-General Carlos Medina Jr. started the discussion by giving an overview of how the Working Group came to be and the significance of the current developments in ASEAN. He spoke of the advantages of having an intergovernmental human rights body in Southeast Asia, describing in detail the civil society push that went as far back as 1993 for such a body, and highlighted the importance of having CSO input. He called the PWG national consultations an opportunity to do so because results will be officially received and considered by Ambassador Rosario Manalo, the Philippine representative to the high level panel (HLP) formed by ASEAN to draft the powers and mandates of the AHRB.

Ray Paolo Santiago, program manager of the Working Group, then gave a presentation on ASEAN, the ASEAN Charter and its human rights provisions, existing regional human rights mechanisms, the impact of the AHRB on ASEAN peoples, and the role of CSOs in pushing for the AHRB.

Discussions then followed on the AHRB, its ideal relationship with CSOs, and proposed structure and functions. Participants agreed that the AHRB must focus on all civil, cultural, economic, and political rights. To be effective, they believed that the AHRB should have program for priority sectors (i.e. indigenous peoples, migrant workers, etc) and consider the establishment of a regional human rights court. Participants also wanted the AHRB to regularly consult with CSOs, national human rights institutions, and other groups in the region which specializes in human rights. A final suggestion was to have the AHRB staffed by an equal number of representatives of governments and CSOs from all ten ASEAN member-states.

PAHRA Chair Max de Mesa summarized the consultation by explaining how important strong civilian resolve for the AHRB and in ASEAN can lead to a decrease in human rights violations in the region. He said that the CSO advancements for human rights in the region was substantial and encouraged participants to push for their aspirations for the AHRB, “whatever the results may be”.

The PWG consultation with CSOs in Cebu City is the second in a series of consultations in the Philippines. It will be holding another consultation in Cagayan de Oro City for CSOs based in the island of Mindanao on August 30, 2008 before consolidating the nationwide results in the final consultation in Metro Manila.