Press Release of 38th Meeting of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR)
The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) convened the 38th Meeting of AICHR from 20 to 23 February 2024 in Vientiane, Lao PDR. The Meeting was chaired by H.E. Ambassador Yong Chanthalangsy, Representative of Lao PDR to AICHR, and was attended by Representatives/Alternate Representatives of AICHR, and the ASEAN Secretariat. Timor-Leste attended the Meeting as Observer.
The Meeting welcomed Lao PDR as the Chair of AICHR in 2024. In his opening remarks, the Chair highlighted the importance of taking stock of the outcomes and achievements in the implementation of ASEAN Community Vision 2025 as well as charting out future direction of ASEAN under Lao PDR’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2024 with the theme “ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience”. The Chair called for collective efforts in the strengthening of ASEAN Community, and the promotion and protection of human rights.
The Meeting was updated on recent developments on human rights in the region including new laws and regulations, and human rights initiatives by ASEAN Member States as presented by the AICHR Representatives/Alternate Representatives of Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.
The Meeting discussed the implementation of AICHR’s Priority Programmes/Activities in 2023 and 2024 with a focus on human rights and policing, trafficking in persons, the environment and climate change, rights of persons with disabilities, children’s rights, human rights and poverty eradication in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), misinformation and disinformation, among others.
Institutional matters were also discussed, including the mid-term review of the AICHR Five-Year Work Plan 2021-2025, measures to strengthen the governance of the AICHR Fund and external funds to AICHR, preparation for the development of the AICHR Five-Year Work Plan 2026-2030, and possible input of AICHR to the development of Strategic Plans of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 led by the High-Level Task Force on ASEAN Community’s Post-2025 Vision (HLTF-ACV).
AICHR held the 3rd interface meeting with the ASEAN Environmental Rights Working Group (AER-WG) to discuss the progress of the drafting of the regional framework on environmental rights in ASEAN. AICHR also provided guidance to the AER-WG on the development of the framework.
The Meeting expressed its appreciation to AICHR Lao PDR and the ASEAN Secretariat for the excellent arrangements of the meeting.