Press Release: Special Meeting of the AICHR, 13 – 15 June 2015, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam
The ASEAN Inter-governmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) convened its Special Meeting, in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam from 13 to 15 June 2015. The Meeting was chaired by Tan Sri Dr. Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, the Representative of Malaysia to the AICHR and the Chair of the AICHR.
The Meeting focused on the preparation for the AICHR Interface with the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM) that will take place in August 2015 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia during the 48th AMM. The Meeting had an extensive discussion during the drafting of the AICHR’s Annual Report that will be submitted to the AMM prior to the said interface meeting since AICHR is at a juncture where it comes to the end of its first Five-Year Work Plan, and the end of the term of office for the majority of the AICHR Representatives by the end of this year. The report aims to highlight to the AMM regarding observations on the AICHR’s operations and activities for the reporting period of 2015, the challenges in the work of the AICHR, and further, to seek guidance from the AMM on several recommendations that are provided in the Annual Report 2015.
The Meeting had successfully finalized the AICHR Five-Year Work Plan 2016 – 2020. The Work Plan 2016 – 2020 is the continuation of AICHR Five-Year Work Plan 2010 – 2015, and aims to further discharge the mandate of the AICHR as stipulated in the Terms of Reference of the AICHR. The Meeting also adopted the AICHR Priority Programmes for 2016.
The Meeting deliberated on its input to the ASEAN Community Post-2015 Vision and its Attendant Document, underlining the importance to acknowledge the cross-cutting nature of human rights and to mainstream human rights across all three pillars of ASEAN.
The Meeting thanked the Representative of Brunei Darussalam to the AICHR and the Government of Brunei Darussalam for the hospitality and excellent arrangements for the Meeting. The AICHR will hold their next meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 2nd to 5th of August 2015.