Second Regional Consultation on the Contribution to the Review of the Terms of Reference of the AICHR and the Special Meeting of the AICHR
27 – 29 June 2014, Bangkok, Thailand
The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) conducted a two-day Regional Consultation with stakeholders on the contribution to the review of the Terms of Reference (TOR) of the AICHR on 27 – 28 June 2014. This is the second Consultation that the AICHR has conducted, following the first Consultation organized in Jakarta, Indonesia in April 2014.
The Consultation was attended by approximately 115 participants including government officials from ASEAN Member States, ASEAN Sectoral Bodies, representatives of the United Nations regional offices based in Bangkok, representatives of national human rights institutions, representatives of national and regional civil society organisations and academics. The Consultation was supported by UN Women, with partial support by the Canadian Government via the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development.
Following the conclusion of the Consultation, the AICHR held their Special Meeting on 29 June 2014 to discuss the contribution of the AICHR towards the development of the Central Elements of the ASEAN Community’s Post-2015 Vision. The AICHR envisions that human rights shall be one of the central elements of the ASEAN Community’s Post 2015 vision, as human rights cut across the three pillars of ASEAN. In addition human rights, should be mainstreamed in all the three pillars of ASEAN and therefore be reflected in their respective work plans.
The AICHR Representatives also met with the ASEAN-US PROGRESS Team, led by its Chief of Party, Amb. James Moriarty, as well as Ambassador Larry Dinger, Senior Advisor, United States Mission to ASEAN. The meeting discussed possible collaboration and support of the PROGRESS team to the AICHR’s efforts to promote and protect human rights.
The AICHR will meet again on 10 – 11 July 2014 in Singapore to discuss and consolidate all the inputs of stakeholders from the two regional consultations. The Meeting thanked the Representative of Thailand and the Government of Thailand for the hospitality and excellent arrangements in the organization of the Consultation and the Meeting.