The 4th ASEAN Environmental Rights Working Group Meeting
The ASEAN Environmental Rights Working Group (AER WG) convened its 4th Meeting on May 6-8, at the ASEAN Headquarters, Jakarta, Indonesia.
The meeting was chaired by H.E. Prof. Dr. Amara Pongsapich, the Representative of Thailand to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR). Attendees included representatives from AICHR, the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC), ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN Youth Forum, ASEAN Disability Forum, UN Agencies, and various regional and international experts in human rights and environmental law.
The meeting continued deliberation on the draft ASEAN Declaration on the right to a safe, clean, and sustainable environment following the 3rd AER WG Meeting held in February 2024, in Manila, the Philippines. The Working Group agreed to continue discussions on the draft Declaration at the 5th Meeting of the Working Group.
During the meeting, initial assessment of submissions from stakeholders was presented. The meeting discussed a suitable process to consolidate comments for further consideration by the AICHR and ASEAN Sectoral Bodies (ASBs). The Working Group exchanged views on the procedural and substantive elements relevant to the realization of the rights to a safe, clean, and sustainable environment in ASEAN. The group considered the urgencies to collectively and effectively address climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. It also took into account the fundamental principles embedded in various ASEAN agreements and international frameworks to which ASEAN Member States (AMSs) are parties.
The Working Group deliberated on the timeline for the consultation with ASBs to ensure the final document is agreeable to all AMS.
The activity has benefitted from technical support from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), as well as development partners, namely the Asian Research Institute for Environmental Law (ARIEL), Swedish International Development (SIDA), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
