11 October 2013 | CIL Fireside Chat Series

ASEAN and Human Rights

Introduction

International Human Rights Law (IHRL) has become more prominent in Southeast Asia, especially since the advent of the ASEAN Charter and the establishment of the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) and the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR).

Professor S Jayakumar and Professor Tommy Koh hosted the penultimate session of the 2013 CIL Fireside Chat Series on 11 October 2013. Four distinguished panelists gave their views on the topic “ASEAN and Human Rights”. Professor Chan Heng Chee, Singapore’s Representative to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), discussed the historical background and role of AICHR. Professor Aline Wong, Singapore’s Representative to the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC), focused on ACWC’s TOR and its challenges. Dr Termsak Chalermpalanupap, former Director of Political and Security affairs at the ASEAN Secretariat and now with the ASEAN Studies Centre, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, shared his insights on ASEAN’s efforts to promote human rights in the region. CIL’s Senior Research Fellow Dr Tan Hsien-Li provided an academic perspective on the rule of law in ASEAN and Human Rights on regional and national levels.

Panelists & Hosts

Panelists:

Ambassador-at-Large Chan Heng Chee
AICHR Member / Singapore MFA
Professor Aline Wong
ACWC Representative / UniSIM
Dr. Termsak Chalermpalanupap
ASEAN Studies Centre, ISEAS
Dr. Tan Hsien Li
Senior Research Fellow, CIL (NUS)

Hosts:
Professor S. Jayakumar
Professor Tommy Koh