Sukosol Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand
16 – 20 November 2013
The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) organised a five-day Advanced Programme on Human Rights: Training of the Trainers from 16 – 20 November 2013, at the Sukosol Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand. The training programme was jointly organised by the AICHR and the Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ), with partial support from the Regional EU – ASEAN Dialogue Instrument (READI) Facility.
This training particularly focused on the Criminal Justice and Human Rights with a view to raising awareness and promoting understanding of the concept of human rights, its standards and mechanisms and rights of some specific groups, such as women, children and migrants in the criminal justice system. Participants were composed of representatives from the national police, Attorney General Office/Chamber, Supreme People’s Court, Human Rights Committee, Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Law/Justice, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and university educators. All ten ASEAN Member States were represented.
The training was facilitated by the Representative of Thailand to the AICHR, H.E. Dr. Seree Nonthasoot. The participants obtained information from a number of human rights experts such as Dr. Sriprapha Petcharamesree, Prof. Vitit Muntarbhorn, Ms. Kanda Vajrabhaya, Prof. Amara Pongsapich, Prof. Christina Cerna, Prof. Jeremy McBride, Mr. Jerald Joseph, Mr. Benjamin Zawacki from the International Commission of Jurist (ICJ), Ms. Yu Kanosue (OHCHR), as well as the AICHR Representatives from Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and the Philippines.
The training programme involved materials on the introduction of concepts and principles of human rights, understanding of concepts and principles of human rights, human rights of specific groups, discussion on the major debates of human rights and regional human rights regimes (ASEAN, Inter-American and European). Furthermore, there was a one-day field visit to the Central Women Correctional Institution and the Criminal Court in order to promote the participants’ knowledge and understanding on human rights particularly in the criminal justice system in Thailand.
The annual training is part of the AICHR’s Five-Year Work Plan and Priority Programme/Activities. Each training programme targets specific groups with the aim to enhancing the capacity of the participants and relating human rights principles to their work, which will ultimately enable them to be trainers on human rights at their respective agencies in the ASEAN Member States.