“Civil Society’s Write-Workshop for the Submission on the AICHR’s Guideline on Stakeholders’ Engagement”

Taking the momentum of the 10^th Meeting of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission of Human Rights (AICHR) on September 21-24, 2012 in Siem Reap, Cambodia, representatives of civil society organizations coming from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, gathered together in Phnom Penh, Cambodia 18-19 September 2012 to come up with the submission on the AICHR’s Guideline for Engagement with Civil Society Groups. 

The Southeast Asian Civil Society Submission to the AICHR Guidelines for Engagement with Civil Society Groups consist of eleven sections; the introduction, principles of engagement, the purpose of the guideline, definition of civil society groups, the conduct of engagement, areas of engagement, criteria of civil society groups, mutual code of conduct, registration of civil society groups with AICHR, termination of registered status with AICHR, and the responsibilities of the registered civil society groups. Moreover, some CSOs also propose that AICHR should realize that their work would be meaningless and irrelevant without the supports and engagement of all sectors, including civil society organizations. Meaningful and constructive participation shall be considered as essential to the human rights framework that promotes good governance, democracy and peace in ASEAN. Plus, AICHR should realize that their work would be meaningless and irrelevant without the supports and engagement of all sectors, including civil society organizations. Meaningful and constructive participation shall be considered as essential to the human rights framework that promotes good governance, democracy and peace in ASEAN. The Southeast Asian CSOs have sent their Submission to the H.E. Om Yen Tieng, AICHR Chair, on September 20, 2012. 

This meeting ran smoothly, and it is a good opportunity for the CSOs from all the country in the ASEAN region came and discuss with each other on the Guideline for Engagement with Civil Society Groups as a way to ensure that civil society involvement will be the practice of working of the AICHR. In addition to that the existence of an active civil society is an important element of a people-centered ASEAN. Recognizing and engaging civil society is and must be an essential pre-condition for democratically legitimate decision-making process of AICHR, which aims at ensuring the guarantee for the respect, promotion, protection and fulfillment of human rights and freedoms for all people in ASEAN, and that the voice of the people is heard. 

Attachments Availble:

Concept Note
Agenda