Press Release on the 7th ASEAN Human Rights Dialogue and Commemorative Activities of the Adoption of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD) and the Phnom Penh Statement on the Adoption of AHRD
17-18 November 2025, Jakarta – Building on the momentum of the 6th ASEAN Human Rights Dialogue and the 2023 ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on the ASEAN Human Rights Dialogue at the 43rd ASEAN Summit, the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) convened the 7th ASEAN Human Rights Dialogue on 17 November 2025 at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The Dialogue was co-hosted and co-chaired by H.E. Anita Ashvini Wahid, Representative of Indonesia to AICHR; H.E. Edmund Bon Tai Soon, Representative of Malaysia to AICHR and Chair of AICHR (2025); and H.E. Asst. Prof. Dr. Bhanubhatra Jittiang, Representative of Thailand to AICHR. The programme was supported by ASEAN Member States (AMS) through the ASEAN AICHR Fund, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia and ASEAN Secretariat.
As AICHR’s flagship programme, the Dialogue adopted an enhanced thematic-based, issue-clustered format and modality allowing for deeper reflections, information sharing, and cross-sector cooperation among AMS and stakeholders. It gathered delegates from AMS, AICHR, the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR), National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), and civil society organisations (CSOs) with a consultative relationship with AICHR. Academia from universities participated as observers. This was the first time Timor-Leste participated in the Dialogue as a full member of ASEAN, following its admission at the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 26 to 28 October 2025.
In his opening remarks, H.E. Sidharto R. Suryodipuro, Director General of ASEAN Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, stressed the relevance of AICHR’s activities and the Dialogue. He noted that “the AICHR’s activities throughout the year and this Dialogue are a reaffirmation of our shared commitment to promote and protect human rights across the region”.
H.E. Mugiyanto Sipin, Vice-Minister of Human Rights of Indonesia, Ministry of Human Rights, delivered the keynote address and noted the “ongoing geopolitical realignment” while “expressing concern over declining global leadership once exercised by major powers in advancing human rights”. He called on AMS to work together to transform challenges into opportunities and to reaffirm that human rights are not merely ideals to be discussed but realities to be lived by every person in our region.
In her welcome remarks, H.E. Anita Ashvini Wahid, said that the Dialogue has become one of the important ways in which ASEAN promotes responsibility and accountability in the protection and promotion of human rights. She stressed that the task before AMS is to deepen the Dialogue’s impact. Inclusivity must be matched by effectiveness; and openness must be accompanied by meaningful follow-up actions.
The Dialogue saw constructive, robust, and a frank sharing and exchange of information on human rights. AMS briefed the Dialogue and presented country updates on issues of the environment, business and human rights, right to development and right to peace, online scamming, forced criminality, and trafficking in persons, among others. Further, they participated in interactive dialogues following each briefing.
The first session on “Human Rights and the Environment in ASEAN” discussed national and regional developments relating to environment, climate impacts, pollution, and efforts to advance implementation of the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment. The second session on “Human Rights, Business and Right to Development in ASEAN” exchanged national and regional developments and experiences on business and human rights policies, corporate responsibility, access to remedy, and links with inclusive and sustainable development. Both sessions were conducted in the context of deliberating on follow-up action to realise the AICHR-led instruments: ASEAN Declaration on the Right to a Safe, Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment (2025) and ASEAN Declaration on Promoting the Right to Development and the Right to Peace Towards Realising Inclusive and Sustainable Development (2025).
The third session on “Online Scams and Trafficking-in-Persons in ASEAN” deliberated on human rights concerns arising from online scam networks, cyber-enabled exploitation, forced criminality, trafficking in persons, and the importance of regional cooperation and victim-centred approaches. The AICHR common approach and position outlined in the “AICHR Press Release on Human Rights, Telecommunication Network Fraud and Online Scamming” adopted on 26 September 2025 was also discussed.
At the general dialogues segment, delegates further shared updates and human rights concerns such as on gender equality, protection of children from sexual exploitation, abuse and online harms, border conflicts, strengthening national human rights plans, humanitarian concerns outside the region such as in Gaza, protection of migrant workers and to ensure fair and ethical recruitment and labour migration, enhancing forensic training to strengthen evidence-based investigation, combating online scamming, misinformation and disinformation, early warning mechanisms, disaster managements, rights of people in vulnerable and marginalised situations, and strengthening engagement with youths and civil society, among others. AMS highlighted good practices and challenges in strengthening national systems and frameworks.
At the dedicated stakeholders’ segment of the Dialogue, representatives of CPR, NHRIs and CSOs shared their views to further strengthen cooperation with, and support, ASEAN’s efforts to promote and protect human rights, emphasising the importance of continued engagement with stakeholders, capacity-building, information exchange, and cross-sectoral collaboration across ASEAN bodies. This also provided an opportunity for them to directly engage with AMS delegates.
The final segment of the Dialogue heard recommendations from delegates on the way forward to promote and protect human rights. In particular, they proposed that the Dialogue could focus on specific thematic issues with stronger cross-sectoral and cross-pillar participation and collaboration with all AMS and relevant ASEAN sectoral bodies; develop an ASEAN regional response and outlook on the relationship between human rights, trade and development; establish a formal mechanism for receiving and investigating complaints; encourage the creation of new NHRIs; deepen engagement with civil society stakeholders; continue refining the modality of the ASEAN Human Rights Dialogue to improve it; and explore regional entry points for addressing issues related to online scamming.
On the second day, 18 November, and in commemoration of the anniversary of the adoption of the AHRD and the Phnom Penh Statement on the Adoption of AHRD, AICHR issued the “AICHR Press Release on Strengthening the AHRD through the ASEAN Declaration on the Right to a Safe, Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment (2025) and ASEAN Declaration on Promoting the Right to Development and the Right to Peace Towards Realising Inclusive and Sustainable Development (2025)” and organised an interactive fireside chat with AICHR Representatives as panellists and a treasure hunt for youths and CSOs. Participants explored human rights themes and concepts and deepened their understanding and appreciation of the AHRD and ASEAN’s key principles through experiential learning.
