High Level Panel Drafts Summit Declaration on AICHR
ASEAN Secretariat, 30 August 2009
High Level Panel Drafts Summit Declaration on AICHR
ASEAN Secretariat, 30 August 2009
The High Level Panel (HLP), which drafted the Terms of Reference of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), met at the ASEAN Secretariat from 29 to 30 August 2009 to draft a declaration for the launching of the AICHR by the ASEAN Leaders at the 15th ASEAN Summit in Thailand in October 2009. The declaration will give political blessing to the AICHR and set out a forward-looking vision to further strengthen the mandate and functions of the AICHR in the promotion and protection of human rights in ASEAN. The HLP also looked into other issues regarding the funding, support network and relationship between the AICHR and other ASEAN bodies handling human rights-related issues.
Prior to their meeting, the HLP had a dialogue with representatives of civil society organisations (CSOs), who provided their views and suggestions as inputs to drafting of the declaration.
The HLP was commissioned to draft the declaration by the ASEAN Foreign Ministers at the 42nd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in July 2009. It plans to meet again in Singapore from 9 to 11 September 2009 to wrap up its work.
The inauguration of the AICHR will represent yet another historic milestone in ASEAN, a concrete expression of its continuing efforts to promote regional cooperation on human rights.
