February 17, 2012 - February 19, 2012
AICHR discussed and approved the method and modality for finalizing the AHRD. It also approved the basic elements to be incorporated into the Preamble and Substantive Rights parts of the Declaration. There was a debate on whether AHRD will adopt the whole technical languages offered by the 1948 Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the public expectation that AHRD should not be lower than the 1948 UDHR.
Indonesia reminded the rest AICHR to take civil society s inputs into consideration in the formulation of the rights. Some member countries, however, insisted on the inclusion of reference to ASEAN Regional and National particularities and specificity’. Indonesia and Thailand considered that not all the particularities in ASEAN are in accordance with the principles of human rights. Particularities must be ensured to be included if only provide positive element and supporting the already universally agreed human rights values. Some member countries objected the inclusion of the term ‘gender identity’ and ‘sexual orientation’ in the declaration. Indonesia argued that the declaration need to include the principle of non-discrimination based on descent, adding to the existing list as provided by the UDHR.
