Press Release of the Fourth Meeting of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) on the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD)

Press Release of the Fourth Meeting of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) on the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD)

Jakarta, 9 – 11 April 2012

The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) convened the Fourth Meeting of AICHR on the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD) from 9 – 11 April 2012 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Meeting was chaired by H.E. Chet Chealy, Member of the Cambodian Human Rights Committee, the Alternate Representative of Cambodia to AICHR.

The Meeting has concluded deliberations on most parts of the sections on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Right to Development and Cooperation in the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights. The Meeting also discussed preparations for its upcoming Fifth Meeting on the AHRD and AICHR’s first consultation with ASEAN Sectoral Bodies to gather inputs to the draft AHRD. AICHR will conduct another consultation with the civil society organisations in late June 2012.

AICHR appreciated the opportunity to meet and have a productive discussion with the ASEAN Foreign Ministers prior to the 20th ASEAN Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The interface meeting between the ASEAN Foreign Ministers and AICHR provided guidance to AICHR on how to move forward to complete the draft of the AHRD by July 2012.

The Meeting thanked the host, the Representative of Indonesia, for the warm hospitality extended to all the delegations. The next AICHR Meeting will be in Bangkok, Thailand on 6 – 10 May 2012 to continue the deliberations on the draft AHRD.