ASEAN Parliamentarians Call for Creation of ASEAN Human Rights Body; Quick Ratification of ASEAN Charter

Dato' Param Cumaraswamy, Dato' Seri Nazri Aziz, Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang, and Hon. Teresa Kok.

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.

The tone of the colloquium was set by Y.B. Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Bin Tan Sri Abdul Aziz, chairman of the AIPCGG: “We aspire to provide a forum for ASEAN parliamentarians concerned about good governance issues. It is clear that the concept of good governance is being envisaged as the norm of the ASEAN Community. My hope is that this colloquium will be able to propose suggestions and recommendations for the improvement of good governance, rule of law, and human rights in ASEAN”. Datuk Aziz, who is also a minister in the prime minister’s department, said that he was pleased that the promotion and protection of human rights and good governance were upheld in the ASEAN Charter.

To concretize their commitments and the outputs of their discussions, the parliamentarians drew an AIPCGG Plan of Action. In here, they endeavored to advocate the ratification of the ASEAN Charter as early as possible. They also committed to support the adoption of the terms of reference that will establish an effective and independent ASEAN human rights body.

The Working Group said that they were encouraged by the support of the AIPCGG parliamentarians for the human rights elements of the Charter. The ratification of the Charter would mean that work on establishing an ASEAN human rights body can begin. “We strongly believe that parliamentarians have a crucial role on the promotion of good governance, the rule of law, and human rights in our region. We are grateful for this opportunity to engage them,” said Chairperson Wigberto Tañada of the Philippine Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism.

The AIPCGG was organized in December 2005 and launched in July 2006 by members of parliament from ASEAN member-states who are concerned about good governance issues of accountability, transparency, integrity, justice, democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and participation. Its steering committee is comprised of Dr. Muhammad AS Hikam (Indonesia), Senator Aquilino Pimentel (Philippines), Senator Kraisak Choonhaven (Thailand), Hon. Charles Chong (Singapore), Dr. Than Sina (Cambodia), and Hon. Lim Kit Siang (Malaysia).

Click here to view the joint press statement by AIPCGG Chairman Dato’ Seri Nazri Aziz and Dato’ Param Cumaraswamy of the Working Group.