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PRESS RELEASE
January 31, 2008
NHRIs 4th CONSULTATIVE MEETING
"ASEAN NHRI FORUM"
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(L to R) Standing: Comm. Wilhelm D. Soriano, Comm. Dominador N. Calamba II, Comm. Quintin B. Cueto III, Comm. Ahmad Baso, Comm. Joseph Adi Prasetiyo. Seated: Prof. Enny Soeprapto, Lady Ambhorn Meesok, Chairperson Purificacion Valera Quisumbing, Vice Chairperson Hesti Armiwulan, Comm. Chiam Heng Keng, Comm. Tunku Datuk Nazihan Tunku Mohd Rus.
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The National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) of Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand are proposing an ASEAN Human Rights Commission as one of the bodies identified to be created in the ASEAN Charter.
At their 4 th Consultative Meeting in Manila from 29-31 January 2008, the “ASEAN NHRI Forum” as they now want to be called, discussed the proposed Terms of Reference for the creation of the ASEAN Human Rights body drafted by the Malaysian Human Rights Commission. The body agreed that the proposed ASEAN Human Rights Commission perform protection, promotion and monitoring functions.
The four NHRIs convened for three days to discuss their role in the establishment of the ASEAN Human Rights body and their joint activities or projects to pursue this goal. This is the fourth meeting of the four human rights commissions to “get organized even as an informal body under a consultative and cooperative framework” to respond to human rights concerns in the ASEAN particularly the creation of the regional human rights body.
The Human Rights Commission of the Philippines chaired the meeting cum conference which was attended by the Chair or Deputy Chair and Commissioners as well as Senior staff of the four Human Rights Commissions.
The four agreed to undertake ten joint projects covering the following: human rights implications of terrorism, the issues on economic, social and cultural rights, problems of migrant workers, human trafficking in persons, and human rights education. |
