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30 member states adopt Bangkok Action Points on regional cooperation on human rights

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Here is the Bangkok Action Points, the outcome documents of Asia Pacific Governments at the 15th Workshop on Regional Cooperation on Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in Asia Pacific Region, which were adopted by member states on 23 April 2010.

Below is the Bangkok Action Points, the outcome documents of Asia Pacific Governments at the 15th Workshop on Regional Cooperation on Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in Asia Pacific Region, which were adopted by member states on 23 April 2010.

Expressing appreciation to the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand for hosting the 15th Workshop of the Framework on Regional Cooperation for the Protection of Human Rights in the Asia-Pacific Region in collaboration with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights;

Welcoming the participation of representatives from 30 Member States and observers from across the Asia-Pacific region in this workshop;

Expressing appreciation to the representatives of national human rights institutions, international organizations, civil society and resource persons for their inputs to the workshop;

Welcoming the activities by national human rights institutions in support of regional cooperation, including those with the support of the Asia-Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights;

Welcoming the evolutionary development of new regional mechanisms for the promotion and protection of human rights, particularly the establishment of the Arab Human Rights Committee under the Arab Charter on Human Rights, the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights under the ASEAN Charter and the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children, as well as the Organization of the Islamic Conference’s deliberations on the establishment of an independent human rights commission and the initiatives in SAARC to further promote cooperation on the rights of women and children;

Noting the Human Rights Council’s continued support for the development of regional human rights arrangements, most recently in resolutions 6/25 and 12/15;

Member States:

1.  Reaffirm their commitment to developing and strengthening national capacities for the promotion and protection of human rights, in accordance with the Tehran Framework for Regional Technical Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region;

2. Welcome the emerging regional human rights infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region and the development of new regional human rights mechanisms, as well as the Asia-Pacific countries’ active engagement in the UPR process, encourage more regular exchange of experiences which could be undertaken through the workshop and possible inter-sessional activities, and request OHCHR and other relevant UN agencies to provide technical assistance in this regard upon request;

3. Note that the on-going evolution of the human rights system within Southeast Asia, particularly the establishment of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, highlights the opportunities for initiatives by countries to work toward the development of sub-regional human rights mechanisms which are an essential building block for broader human rights arrangements for the Asia-Pacific region;

4.  Recognize that regional arrangements play a fundamental role in promoting and protecting human rights. While evolving in different forms in different regional contexts, they should reinforce universal human rights standards, such as those contained in international human rights instruments and international humanitarian law;

5. Underline the importance of partnerships between Governments, national human rights institutions and civil society at the national and regional levels in developing regional mechanisms;

6.  Encourage strengthened cooperation between the United Nations and regional arrangements in the field of human rights and the identification of strategies to overcome obstacles to the promotion and protection of human rights at the regional and international level;

7.  Encourage participation in the forthcoming workshop on “Enhancing cooperation between regional and international mechanisms for the promotion and protection of human rights” to be held in Geneva in May 2010 of representatives of the relevant regional and subregional arrangements from different regions, experts and interested Member States of the United Nations, observers, national human rights institutions and representatives of non-governmental organizations;

8.  Encourage the establishment of effective, independent and pluralistic national human rights institutions in accordance with the Paris Principles or, where they already exist, their strengthening, and encourage OHCHR, the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions and other existing regional institutions to support emerging regional and national mechanisms and to give high priority to requests from Member States on the development and strengthening of such institutions in partnership with relevant regional organizations;

9.  Request OHCHR and the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions to support further cooperation at the regional level among national human rights institutions and thematic human rights institutions;

10.  Request OHCHR to finalise for publication a directory of resource materials available to assist the implementation of activities under the Regional Framework based on the latest information from participants, and to engage in consultations with Member States, UNESCAP, UN agencies, regional organizations, national human rights institutions, civil society and other stakeholders on follow-up to activities under the Regional Framework.