Press Release 34th Meeting of AICHR, 30-31 March 2022, Video Conference
The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) convened the 34th Meeting of AICHR on 30-31 March 2022 via videoconference. The Meeting was chaired by H.E. Keo Remy, Representative of Cambodia to AICHR, and was attended by the Representatives/Alternate Representatives of AICHR, and the ASEAN Secretariat.
The Meeting welcomed Cambodia as the Chair of AICHR in 2022 and the newly appointed Representatives and Alternate Representatives in serving the AICHR for the term of 2022-2024.
The Meeting was updated on recent developments and initiatives on human rights in some ASEAN Member States by the AICHR Representatives of Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and the Philippines respectively.
Following the adoption of the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework of the Five-Year Work Plan (FYWP) of AICHR 2021-2025, the Meeting deliberated on the implementation progress of the FYWP 2021-2025 and the AICHR Priority Programmes/Activities of 2021. Discussions were focused on the preparation for AICHR’s programmes and activities in 2022, which include the thematic areas of rights of the child, rights of persons with disabilities, freedom of religion and belief, trafficking in persons, business and human rights, freedom of opinion and expression, prevention of torture, environmental rights, right to health, right to nationality, right to development, as well as the commemoration of 10th Anniversary of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD) and the Phnom Penh Statement on the Adoption of the AHRD, and the ASEAN Human Rights Dialogue 2022.
During this meeting, the preparation for the Annual Report of AICHR 2022 and the AICHR Priority Programmes/Activities 2023 were also discussed.
On stakeholder engagement and external relations, AICHR welcomed Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand as new members of the Screening Panel for Consultative Relationship with AICHR. AICHR also considered exploring further the possibility of hosting the 4th ASEAN-EU Policy Dialogue on Human Rights this year.