ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights 2010-2011

The establishment of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) on 23 October 2009 raised much expectation from the peoples of ASEAN and civil society groups regarding its potential to strengthen human rights protection and promotion in Southeast Asia region. Two years have passed since its establishment, has the AICHR performed up to the expectation of the peoples in the region? This second report on the performance of AICHR for the period of 2010-2011 – titled “A Commission Shrouded in Secrecy”, seeks to provide an analysis from a civil society’s perspective the performance of AICHR on institutional building, implementation of its mandates and functions, engagements with all stakeholders, as well as the drafting of the ASEAN Declaration of Human Rights. Speakers invited for the launch are Yap Swee Seg from Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, Chalida Tajaroensuk from People’s Empowerment Foundation, Nina Somera from Women’s Caucus, Saowalak Thongkuay from DPI AP and Phil Robertson from Human Rights Watch.