The Singapore Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism (MARUAH) is attending the 8th Workshop on the ASEAN Regional Mechanism on Human Rights in Bangkok, Thailand, 14-15 July 2009.
In Day 1 of the workshop, speakers and participants discussed the following issues
- ASEAN Human Rights Body (AHRB) should not be a standalone, but part of a regime, including a set of norms
- Human rights should be mainstreamed across the 3 ASEAN pillars
- Concept of non-interference remains, but should be viewed objectively under international law, and not subjectively
- CSOs should engage the entire ASEAN structure, and not just the AHRB
- A thematic approach may be more acceptable to member states
- Rules of procedures will be drafted to guide the AHRB
- CSOs need to move quickly to engage states on the AHRB representatives selection process
- ASEAN Committee for Migrant Workers (ACMW) has not made a decision on how to deal with undocumented migrant workers
- Existing UN standards should be utilised to guide ASEAN (no need to reinvent the wheel)
- As all 10 ASEAN countries have ratified CEDAW and CRC, the ASEAN commission on the protection and promotion of the rights of women and children (ACWC) should have standards in-line with those UN conventions
MARUAH Singapore 