Developing regional positions, priorities and strategies toward the fourth session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in March this year – this is the purpose of the new SAPA (Solidarity for Asian People’s Advocacy) Working Group on United Nations Human Rights Mechanisms, formed after a SAPA meeting on the UN Human Rights Council.
Developing regional positions, priorities and strategies toward the fourth session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in March this year – this is the purpose of the new SAPA (Solidarity for Asian People’s Advocacy) Working Group on United Nations Human Rights Mechanisms, formed after a SAPA meeting on the UN Human Rights Council.
FORUM-ASIA hosted this Regional Consultation on the UN Human Rights Council from 2-3 February at the Windsor Suites Hotel in Bangkok. The Consultation brought together partner organisations from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka and Thailand, as well as key human rights advocates from Geneva and New York.
The objective of the Consultation was to examine and assess the work of the Human Rights Council to date, and to develop common Council-specific goals, strategies, and action plans amongst Asian national and regional human rights NGOs.
The Consultation opened with an update on the Council’s developing structures and procedures, and most prominently, NGO participation at the Council and the progress of the working groups on the universal periodic review. Also covered were the special procedures, system of expert advice, and complaints procedure. Panel discussion highlighted the key issues for Asian NGOs, and suggested strategies toward NGO use of, and interaction with, the mechanisms of the Council. Building upon this dialogue, each organisation gave a presentation on the role and relevance of the Council to its work and country context.
The Consultation also addressed the role and effectiveness of the treaty bodies in addressing Asian human rights issues. A segment of the Consultation was dedicated to an update on treaty body reform proposals, and subsequent panel discussion weighed and debated the value of existing proposals from organisational, national and regional perspectives. Complementing this discussion, each organisation reported on their treaty body-related activities and strategies.
The final sessions of the Consultation, entitled ‘Strategic Planning’ and ‘Synthesis and Conclusions’, facilitated discussion on the development of mid-term and long-term regional strategies for engagement with the Council.
