IWRAW-AP Statement on the AHRD

(Sent to the ASEAN Heads of State and Government on 21 November 2012)

International Women’s Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW Asia Pacific)[1] wishes to express its disappointment in the decision of the ASEAN leaders to proceed with the adoption of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration on 18 November 2012 despite the numerous calls to postpone the adoption by civil society groups and other stakeholders.

The current version of the Declaration falls short of its vision and mission as the overarching instrument to “establish a framework for human rights cooperation in the region and contribute to the ASEAN community building process”, due to its restrictive content and the process by which it was created.

ASEAN Human Rights Declaration Limited by ‘morality’ Say Women’s Organisations

The Southeast Asian Women´s Caucus on ASEAN has expressed disappointment in the final version of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD) adopted by ASEAN leaders on 18 November 2012.

The Women´s Caucus said that the Declaration has too many limitations and loopholes to be useful. “The Declaration has failed to uphold international standards” said the Caucus. “The Declaration makes rights subject to national laws, but national laws may discriminate against women and may not be fully compliant with international human rights standards. The Declaration also states that rights need to be ‘balanced’ with responsibilities which undermines existing commitments that ASEAN states are party to” she added.

WC Letter to Foreign Ministers on the AHRD (27 Sept. 2012)

The Women’s Caucus makes an appeal to the foreign ministers to omit “public morality” from the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD). It also urges the ministers to integrate women’s human rights, make the draft AHRD public and delay the AHRD’s approval. The letter was also sent to the ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuan and Deputy Secretary General for Political-Security Community Nyan Lynn and representatives of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR). The foreign ministers are scheduled to have an informal meeting on 27 September 2012, 3-5 pm at the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States. PDF File Here

MEDIA RELEASE: Malaysia maintains “public morality” in the ASEAN human rights declaration; SEA Women to appeal again to foreign ministers

PRESS RELEASE – 13 September 2012
Contact persons:
PH/TH/ Secretariat: Nina Somera, nina@apwld.org, +63 9395499654 (PH) +66 8116210732 (TH), +63 9218122066 (PH),
ID: Rena Herdiyani, rena_herdiyani@yahoo.com, +62812982014732
Photo by Nur Judy Abdullah, Council of Social Welfare, Brunei Darussalam

Malaysia continues to resist the calls of women to remove “public morality”” from the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD), as it is being drafted by the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR).

MEDIA RELEASE: Women’s NGOs in SEA oppose “public morality” in the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration

PRESS RELEASE – 10 September 2012
Contact persons:
PH: Jelen Paclarin, jelen.paclarin@gmail.com, +63 9175273377
ID: Rena Herdiyani, rena_herdiyani@yahoo.com, +62812982014732
TH/ Secretariat: Nina Somera, nina@apwld.org, +66 8116210732 (TH),  +63 9218122066 (PH), +63 9395499654 (PH)
Photo by Nur Judy Abdullah, Council of Social Welfare, Brunei Darussalam

Manila, Philippines – Women’s groups under the Southeast Asia Women’s Caucus on the ASEAN (Women’s Caucus) raised the alarm on moves to put “public morality” in the draft of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD) as this will further endanger the lives of women in Southeast Asia with the “morality” standards already being exercised by the dominant patriarchal and traditional beliefs in each ASEAN member state.

Women’s Caucus and other CSOs regroup for ACWC-CSO dialogue

by Nina Somera, APWLD

In time for the 5^th Meeting of the ASEAN Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children, national and regional civil society organizations especially those working on women and children collectively surfaced their common issues and strategies. Attended by more than 50 participants from Brunei Darussalam, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, and Philippines, the two-day civil society preparatory meeting was held from 2-3 July 2012 in Jakarta, Indonesia, just before the second formal meeting between CSOs and ACWC.

CSO Recommendations to ACWC (July 2012)

From 2-3 July 2012, civil society organizations gathered and strategized for the second formal meeting with ASEAN Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC).  The CSOs prepared recommendations on the draft declaration on “VAWC,” the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration and the new Optional Protocol of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), among others. The preparatory meeting was organized by the Women’s Caucus, Kalyanamitra, the Human Rights Working Group, Child Rights Coalition Asia and KKSP.