Press Release: The Philippines Hosts 2nd AICHR ASEAN Legal Human Rights Instrument Workshop
The 2nd Workshop on the Development of ASEAN Legal Human Rights Instruments was hosted by the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) Philippines on 13-14 September 2017.
In the keynote speech of Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alan Peter Cayetano, which was delivered on his behalf by ASEAN-Philippines Assistant Secretary Ma. Hellen Barber De La Vega, he highlighted that the people of ASEAN have shared values as a region in their aspiration to promote and protect human rights, and that a human rights approach is key for ASEAN to achieve prosperity, progress, and peace for its people.
The Workshop complemented and substantially contributed to the implementation of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD) and the efforts being undertaken toward the establishment of a framework for human rights cooperation through various ASEAN conventions and other instruments dealing with human rights, as laid down in AICHR’s Five-Year Work Plan (2016-2020).
Building on the past and present initiatives within the ASEAN region, the Workshop successfully continued the dialogue on the possible development of ASEAN human rights cooperation frameworks, including legal instruments on human rights and regional non-binding guidelines on human rights.
Representatives of the AICHR, ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC), ASEAN Committee on Migrant Workers (ACMW), ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crimes (SOMTC), ASEAN Senior Law Officials Meeting (ASLOM), Ministries of Foreign Affairs, and the ASEAN Secretariat attended the Workshop. The Ateneo Human Rights Center served as the academic research partner of AICHR Philippines for the Workshop.