TheASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) was inaugurated in October 2009 as a consultative body of theAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Thehuman rights commission exists to promote and protecthuman rights, and regional co-operation on human rights in the member states of (Brunei Darussalam,Cambodia,Indonesia,Laos,Malaysia,Myanmar,Philippines,Singapore,Thailand andVietnam).^[1] The AICHR meets at least twice per year.^[1]

Human rights are referenced in theASEAN Charter (Articles 1.7, 2.2.i and 14) and other key ASEAN documents. The commission operates through consultation and consensus—each of the 10 member states has veto power. The commission makes no provision for independent observers.^[2]

The AICHR is directed by a body of representatives, one per member state, each nominated by and answerable to their government and serving a three-year term, renewable once. The commission has 14 mandates, mainly around the promotion and protection of human rights, capacity building, advice and technical assistance, information gathering and engagement with national, regional, and international bodies.^[1][3] One of its mandates was "to develop anASEAN Human Rights Declaration", but when this was adopted, in November 2012,^[4] it came under criticism from human rights groups for including wording that suggested that access to human rights was contingent on "the performance of corresponding duties as every person has responsibilities to all other individuals, the community and the society where one lives".^[5] NGOs in the region presented cases of alleged violations to it at its inaugural meeting inJakarta.^[6]

The commission has been described as "toothless" by observers includingThe Wall Street Journal.^[2] The ASEAN chair at the time of AICHR's founding,Abhisit Vejjajiva, said that "...the commission's 'teeth' would be strengthened down the road",^[7] but six years after AICHR's founding, critics charge that "...since it was launched,...[AICHR] has yet to take any action to safeguard the most basic freedoms of citizens it supposedly represents."^[7]

Name	Country
Om Yenting	Cambodia
Rafendi Djamin	Indonesia
Bounkuet Sangsomsak	Laos
Awang Abdul Hamid Bakal	Malaysia
Kyaw Tint Swe	Myanmar
Rosario G. Manalo	Philippines
Richard Magnus	Singapore
Dr. Sriprapha Petcharamesree	Thailand
Do Ngoc Son	Vietnam

Name	Country
Pehin Dato Dr. Awang Hj. Ahmad bin Hj. Jumat	Brunei
Srun Thirith	Cambodia
Rafendi Djamin	Indonesia
Phoukhong Sisoulath	Laos
Tan Sri Dato' Sri Dr. Muhammad Shafee Abdullah	Malaysia
U Kyaw Tint Swe	Myanmar
Rosario G. Manalo	Philippines
Chan Heng Chee	Singapore
Dr. Seree Nonthasoot	Thailand
Le Thi Thu	Vietnam

^[8]

2016-2018

2019-2021

2022-2024

2025-2027

• ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women

• Tan, Hsien-Li (2011),The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights: Institutionalising human rights in Southeast Asia, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,ISBN 978-1-107-00449-8

• Website of the AICHR
• Development of the ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism Directorate-General for External Policies of theEuropean Parliament 2012

• ASEAN
• Intergovernmental human rights organizations

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