In pursuit of realizing its ASEAN chairmanship agenda encapsulated in the "ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth" theme, Indonesia will chair the deliberation on measures to strengthen AICHR's role in the promotion and protection of human rights through the initiative to institutionalize ASEAN Human Rights Dialogue at the meeting.
"The ASEAN Human Rights Dialogue has provided a forum to ASEAN's countries to exchange views of concern on human rights issues in the region in a genuine manner in hopes of forging regional human rights cooperation," she said.
The dialogue was first introduced in 2013 and was then held in the successive years of 2021 and 2022. Indonesia will host the 2023 ASEAN Human Rights Dialogue in November.
Wahyuningrum explained that the series of the Human Rights Dialogues have served as proof of the ASEAN member countries' readiness to realize the commitment to upholding human rights in the region.
Furthermore, she underlined the vital role of human rights activists and academics in the efforts to promote human rights in the Southeast Asian region.
In this context, Indonesia will hold a first meeting with civil society organizations and ASEAN university networks on the sidelines of the 37th AICHR Meeting with the objective of discussing challenges and measures that might be taken to uphold human rights in the ASEAN.
In the Southeast Asia National Human Rights Institution Forum (SEANF), the AICHR will also meet with national human rights institutions of several ASEAN countries: Komnas HAM from Indonesia, SUHAKAM from Malaysia, MNHRC from Myanmar, CHRP from the Philippines, NHRCT from Thailand, and PDHJ from Timor-Leste.
Under Indonesia's leadership, the 37th AICHR Meeting will discuss human rights issues and critical points related to the issues of freedom of opinion and expression, rights of persons with disabilities, gender equality, rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, children's rights, environment rights and climate change, torture prevention, business and human rights, and the relation between human rights and police institutions.
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Translator: Yashinta Difa, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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