Press Comments by the Chairman of the High Level Panel (HLP) on the Establishment of an ASEAN Human Rights Body
The High Level Panel (HLP) on the establishment of an ASEAN human rights body held its first meeting during the 41st ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Singapore today.
The HLP had earlier met the ASEAN Foreign Ministers to receive their guidance and directions.
The Chairman of the HLP, Mr Bilahari Kausikan, said: "Our discussions were held in a cordial and cooperative spirit. We aim to achieve a result that is realistic, balanced and credible, and which would be in the best collective interest of ASEAN. We all agreed that we are not starting on a blank page. ASEAN has a history of discussing human rights and the High Level Task Force (HLTF) on the ASEAN Charter had already achieved a fair degree of consensus on several issues. We will build upon the work of the HLTF, as well as ASEAN's previous agreements and declarations on human rights. "We agreed to hold monthly meetings in order to meet our goal of reporting to the Foreign Ministers at the next ASEAN Summit in December. Singapore will hand over the chairmanship of the HLP to Thailand, the incoming ASEAN Chair, on 24 July 2008. We look forward to Thailand's chairmanship, and the second meeting of the HLP in Thailand in August 2008. We are encouraged that several countries have already offered to host subsequent meetings of the HLP. We also agreed that it is important to engage ASEAN civil society in our work. We aim to provide an interim report on the progress of our work to the Foreign Ministers at the Informal ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in New York in September 2008. "
The High Level Panel consists of the following:
BRUNEI
H.E. Dato Paduka Haji Shofry Abdul Ghafor
Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and TradeBrunei Darussalam
CAMBODIA
H.E. Om Yentieng
Advisor to the Royal Government of Cambodia
President of the Human Rights Committee of Cambodia
INDONESIA
Mrs Wiwiek Setyawati Firman
Director for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs
Department of Foreign Affairs
HLP Alternate: Mr Arief Havas Oegroseno
Director for Political Security and International Treaties
Department of Foreign Affairs
LAOS
H.E. Bounkeut Sangsomsak
Vice Foreign Minister
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
MALAYSIA
H.E. Tan Sri Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak
Ambassador with Special Functions
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
MYANMAR
H.E. U Myat Ko
Secretary of Myanmar Human Rights Group
Director-General, General Administration
PHILIPPINES
H.E. Amb Rosario G Manalo
Department of Foreign Affairs
