AICHR consults stakeholders on an ASEAN Human Rights Index

JAKARTA, 8 May 2024- The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) conducted a Regional Consultation on the Human Rights Index on 29-30 April in Banten, Indonesia, as part of the implementation of the AICHR’s Five-Year Work Plan (2021-2025).

The consultation aims to provide a platform for dialogue among relevant stakeholders to discuss and consider a regional human rights index in ASEAN, by mapping and documenting good practices, sustainable strategies and challenges as experienced by the existing human rights indexes. One of the purposes of the consultation was also to come up with recommendations on possible regional human rights index in ASEAN.

In his speech, the Representative of Lao PDR and Chair to AICHR, Ambassador Yong Chanthalangsy said that the future challenges on human rights will be more complex and the ability of AICHR to adapt and respond to the challenges is needed. For better responses to challenges, AICHR needs a tool and one of them is having a regional human rights index, added the Representative of Indonesia to AICHR, Wahyuningrum.

She further explained that a regional human rights index can help AICHR to set priorities of responses and serve as a mechanism and cooperation to ensure better human rights promotion and protection in the region.

The consultation was attended by more than 95 participants representing the AICHR, ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC), National Human Rights Institutions, the ASEAN Sectoral Bodies, the ASEAN Member States, Universities and Civil Society Organisations who joined the event online and in-person.

Participants discussed various experiences, lessons learned and methodology on developing human rights index, as well as sharing experiences in tracking state’s compliance with global human rights standards.

At the end of the consultation, participants came up with recommendations related to the added values for the regional human rights index, its characteristics and contribution to the strengthening of the ASEAN Community, the expected outcome, the potential user, the criteria, and the scope as follows:

• A regional human rights index in ASEAN may be developed based on the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration which bridges the gaps on data and analysis on human rights situation between the national and global levels and complements the existing progress-tracking and monitoring tools on human rights compliances.
• A regional human rights index may also be based on certain themes, such as trafficking in persons, migrant workers, or business and human rights.
• A regional human rights index can contribute to the process of policy-making and decision-making in ASEAN’s development plans.
• A regional human rights index may be included as part of the next AICHR Five-Year Work Plan 2026-2030 and be aligned with ASEAN Community Vision 2045

The consultation was organised by AICHR Indonesia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia.