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ASEAN human rights dialogue: More than just talking, but listening
Dialogue is a unique method in international relations in that it requires states to participate voluntarily and listen with empathy, and does not seek to conclude with an agreement or a decision.
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Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi (right) reads notes during a meeting of ASEAN foreign ministers and representatives of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) on Aug. 1, 2018 in Singapore. (ASEAN2018 Organizing Committee/ASEAN2018 Organizing Committee)
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have never thought that hosting or participating in a dialogue is a radical idea. While it is not easy and takes effort, dialogue is considered an effective method for communicating ideas that requires all participants to have equal standing and be willing to accept differences.
When it comes to a human rights dialogue among states, however, while such dialogue might be necessary, it is not always desirable.
Some participating states fear a dialogue on human rights in that it could open a space for other countries to criticize their human rights record. In addition, the relationship between a state and human rights is often fraught with tension, which is unavoidable but can be mitigated.
International human rights law perceives the role of the state as the primary guarantor of human rights and seeks them to be accountable for complying with the standards in their treatment of individuals and groups.
At the same time that a state codifies human rights law, it can also paradoxically and frequently reject human rights norms and tightly guard its authority against popular sovereignty.
Nevertheless, with agreed modalities among the participating states, tension between a state and human rights can be mitigated through dialogue.
As such, the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) held the ASEAN Human Rights Dialogue 2021 on Sept. 21 in cooperation with the Indonesian Foreign Ministry.
