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Human rights diplomacy in ASEAN: Indonesia’s perspective
The dialogue shows the increased openness and maturity of ASEAN member states in sharing their human rights situation in the region..
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ASEAN foreign ministers (left) meet with ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights representatives (right) as part of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Jakarta on July 11, 2023. (-/Bay Ismoyo/Pool via Reuters)
In less than two months, Indonesia will hand over its ASEAN chairmanship to Laos. Under the theme of ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth, Indonesia brings together the commitments of member states to strengthen the role of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) as a leading human rights mechanism in the region with an enhanced overarching mandate in promoting and protecting human rights.
For Indonesia, the AICHR is a work in progress. The efforts to strengthen its important role in upholding the human rights of the people in ASEAN take an evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, approach.
There are three key strategies in Indonesia’s human rights diplomacy in ASEAN, namely cooperation, genuine dialogue and building the capacity of duty bearers to comply with their human rights obligations.
It is with these three approaches in mind that Indonesia institutionalized human rights dialogue through the adoption of the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on the ASEAN Human Rights Dialogue at the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta, coinciding with the International Day of Democracy, on Sept. 15.
The ASEAN Human Rights Dialogue is Indonesia’s interpretation of the AICHR’s mandate to obtain information from member states on the promotion and protection of human rights and to strengthen the ASEAN framework on human rights.
In her opening remarks in the dialogue, Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi underscored the importance of human rights dialogue as a platform for all stakeholders to bridge differences, build understanding, and forge a path toward meaningful change.
The fifth dialogue on Nov. 6 showed the increased openness and maturity of member states in sharing their human rights situation. The number of member states that voluntarily present their views on human rights issues improved over time. From one country briefing in 2013 to eight in 2021, and nine in 2022 and 2023, it is sufficient to say that ASEAN member states have gradually reached a level of maturity in discussing human rights concerns in the region through dialogue.
