Philippines urges ASEAN to protect the rights of the vulnerable at ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting Interface with AICHR

Philippine Senior Officials’ Meeting Leader and Acting Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs Maria Theresa P. Lazaro delivers the intervention of the Secretary of Foreign Affairs at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting Interface with AICHR Representatives. (DFA-ASEAN photo)

PASAY CITY 10 August 2021 – Philippine Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) Leader and Acting Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs Maria Theresa P. Lazaro called for the protection of the rights of the vulnerable who continue to bear the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) Interface with ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) Representatives on 02 August 2021 via videoconference.

Philippine SOM Leader Lazaro in her intervention emphasized that “Mainstreaming human rights in our work, especially when it is most difficult, is testament to our steadfast commitment to uphold the rights of our people”.

AICHR Philippines Alternate Temporary Representative Marian Jocelyn T. Tirol-Ignacio also called for AICHR to prioritize activities under the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework and Implementation Plan.

The Philippines also highlighted the protection of migrant workers from unjust and unrightful labor practices through the strengthened implementation of the ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers, and called for the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and ASEAN Enabling Masterplan 2025: Mainstreaming the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Several Member States raised the human rights situation in Myanmar with the Philippines expressing support for Brunei, as Chair, in its efforts to assist Myanmar in the swift implementation of the Five-Point Consensus. The Five-Point Consensus endorsed the provision of humanitarian assistance and the immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar, as well as the appointment of a special ASEAN envoy to help facilitate constructive dialogue among all parties.

Attended by ASEAN Foreign Ministers, AICHR Representatives, and the ASEAN Secretary General, the annual Interface provides a platform between ASEAN Foreign Ministers and AICHR Representatives to exchange views on the human rights situation in the region. END

The Foreign Ministers, AICHR Representatives, and the ASEAN Secretary General convene for the annual AMM-AICHR Interface. (DFA-ASEAN photo)