ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights Holds 34th Meeting with New Set of Representatives
The new Philippine Representative to AICHR, Ambassador Belinda M. Ante, attends the first ASEAN Intergovernmental Committee on Human Rights (AICHR) Meeting for 2022. (DFA-ASEAN photo)
PASAY CITY 05 April 2022 — The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) held its 34th Meeting and first meeting for the year, welcoming a new set of Representatives during its held on 29-31 March 2022 via videoconference. Cambodia’s AICHR Representative Keo Remy chaired the meeting as Cambodia takes over the AICHR Chairmanship from Brunei.
The new AICHR Representative of the Philippines, Ambassador Belinda M. Ante, provided updates on the initiatives of the Philippines under the UN Joint Program on Human Rights, and invited the other AICHR Representatives to support it.
“We invite all our friends in ASEAN to demonstrate their individual and collective support to this pilot initiative by the Philippines, including their prudent and utmost attention. There is much to gain from the UNJP, and ASEAN and all its members can benefit from the wealth of experience and lessons learned in its implementation, the generation and documentation of best practices, and the possible replication and further fine-tuning the initiative at the national- and regional- levels,” Ambassador Ante emphasized.
Former Philippine Representative to AICHR, Assistant Secretary Jaime Victor B. Ledda, delivered a presentation on Cooperation and Policy Support in AICHR and recommended ways forward in which AICHR can do more as ASEAN’s human rights body. “AICHR should make its doors open for cooperation and collaboration in the coming months or years, so that when AICHR will once again create its work plan and plan of activities, Member States can introduce more concrete actions on how to officially work with ASEAN Sectoral Bodies that share the same vision with AICHR,” said Assistant Secretary Ledda.
The new AICHR Representatives for the term 2022-2024 were eased in through a transition workshop conducted on 29 March 2022. Other matters discussed include the status of AICHR’s Five Year Work Plan 2021-2025 and the ongoing thematic studies.
The Meeting will now prepare for its upcoming interface with the ASEAN Foreign Ministers in August, where AICHR will submit its Annual Report 2022. END
Assistant Secretary Jaime Victor B. Ledda delivers a presentation at the Workshop on Transition between AICHR Representatives 2019-2021 and AICHR Representatives 2022-2024. (DFA-ASEAN photo)