Asean rights declaration due this year
Asean is expected to unveil its Human Rights Declaration as a guideline to promote and protect basic rights in the region late this year, a senior diplomat said, as foreign ministers from the group yesterday opened a discussion with representatives of the
The key issue in the discussion was that while Asean regarded human rights as a “universal” principle, many members seek to preserve their regional or national “particularities” on humanrights protection.
Member countries of the group expected to see the Asean human rights instrument meet international standards that were the equal of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, said Thai Foreign Ministry permanent secretary Sihasak Phuangketkeow.
As Asean members were parties to the United Nations humanrights declaration, it did not make any sense for the group if its own humanrights instrument did not meet international standards, he said.
The AICHR was mandated to develop an Asean Human Rights Declaration with a view to establishing a framework for humanrights cooperation through various Asean conventions and other instruments dealing with human rights.
The document would reflect the aspirations of Asean to be a peoplecentric organisation committed to promoting and protecting human rights, Sihasak said. The foreign ministers in the meeting considered the draft and assigned senior officials of the group to work on it together with the AICHR representatives, before submitting it to the foreign ministers meeting again late this year. If the ministers make no change they will forward it to the leaders’ summit in November this year.
From Thailand’s position, the Asean ministers would support and ask senior officials to facilitate the AICHR to reach its objective, Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul said.
AICHR may need to consult with all stakeholders in Asean, including civic society and sectoral bodies of the group, to listen to their opinions on the matters, he said. Surapong is in Cambodia this week for annual Asean meetings attended by senior officials and ministers from 27 nations. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would join the meetings and would later attend a meeting of the USAsean Business Forum and American Chamber of Commerce in Siem Reap.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was invited to attend the Seam Reap business forum Friday. She will deliver her speech on investor confidence in the Thai economy, as well as the role of women leaders. Yingluck will also hold a bilateral meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.
