Thailand reiterates its commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights in hosting the 15th Workshop on Regional Cooperation for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Asia-Pacific Region between 21-23 April 2010 in Bangkok
On 21 April 2010, H.E. Mr. Kasit Piromya, Minister of Foreign Affairs, delivered a welcoming address at the 15th Workshop on Regional Cooperation for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Asia-Pacific Region at the Bangkok Marriot Resort & Spa where he reaffirmed the importance the Thai Government attached to democracy, human rights and the rule of law amidst the current political situation in Thailand. In the address, he also informed the meeting of the efforts the Government is making in the promotion and protection of human rights at the national, regional and international levels.
The Workshop was co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 21 to 23 April 2010. Mr. Homayoun Alizadeh, South-East Asia Regional Representative, Office of the United Nations High Commissioners for Human Rights (OHCHR), delivered an opening address on behalf of the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Kyung-wha Kang.
The Workshop was chaired by Ambassador Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Permanent Representative of Thailand to the United Nations in Geneva and was attended by representatives of 31 Member States, National Human Rights Commissions from 9 countries, 12 civil society organizations, 8 United Nations agencies, and regional organizations and bodies such as the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and resources persons and experts on regional human rights mechanisms in Europe, Latin America and Africa.
Since 1990, the OHCHR has organized the Asia-Pacific Workshop on a regular basis to promote regional cooperation on human rights in the region. Thailand was host to the 9th Workshop in 2001 and was proud to host the Workshop for a second time with the following objectives: (1) to follow up the implementation of the Tehran Framework for Regional Technical Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region by member states. The Framework was adopted at the 6th Workshop in Tehran in 1998 comprising four pillars: national human rights plans of action; human rights education; national human rights institutions; and strategies for the realization of the right to development and economic, social and cultural rights. (2) to promote the visibility of AICHR in the Asia-Pacific region after its establishment last year and to exchange best practices and lessons learned between various regional human rights mechanisms in order to help strengthen their work and functioning.
On the first day of the Workshop, member states reported on their progress and challenges on the implementation of the Framework, for instance Thailand highlighted the implementation of the Second National Human Rights Plan of Action, the integration of human rights into the school curriculum, the role of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand, and the promotion and protection of economic, social and cultural rights through the implementation of welfare-oriented policy of the Thai Government.
On the second day, participants discussed the theme “Strengthening regional human rights mechanisms by sharing best practices and experiences” proposed by Thailand as host of the Workshop. Thailand delivered presentations on the establishment and development of AICHR while a representative from the Pacific Islands Forum reported on recent developments that might pave the way for the future establishment of a regional human rights mechanism in the Pacific islands region. Experts on the regional human rights mechanisms of Europe, Latin America and Africa also shared their experiences with participants in the Workshop.
The Meeting agreed that sub-regional arrangements constituted an essential building block for broader human rights arrangements for the Asia-Pacific region. Moreover, it was recognized that the development of new regional human rights mechanisms is an evolutionary process which needs to take into account the specificities and particularities of different regions, while reinforcing universal human rights standards.
Thailand’s hosting this Workshop has demonstrated the importance given by the Thai Government to the promotion and protection of human rights both at the national and regional levels. The Workshop, through the sharing of experiences and best practices, would contribute to the strengthening of existing human rights regional mechanisms such as AICHR and also offer useful information for those other sub-regional bodies that are exploring the establishment of their own human rights mechanisms. At the end of the Meeting, the Bangkok Action Points were adopted to provide a basis to take forward cooperation within the Asia-Pacific framework.
For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th