As ASEAN is to establish its human rights body, civil society organisations have called on the association to ensure accountability, independence and effectiveness of the body. Below are information and statements on the issue, released by the organisations including FORUM-ASIA.

Statements

• • 28 August, Letter to the Chairperson of ASEAN on the national process of selecting representatives of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR)
    
  • 25 August, ASEAN's Political Declaration: Wanted - full fledged regional human rights mechanism!
    
  • 17 August, ASEAN human rights body: a shroud over corpses or a new beginning?
  • 28 July, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) ASEAN Human rights body : weak mandate, weak protection  
  • 19 July, FORUM-ASIA and SAPA Task Force on ASEAN and Human Rights Letter to Abhisit Vejjajiva, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand and ASEAN Chair
    
  • 18 July, Civil Society Urges ASEAN Foreign Ministers to Adopt Mechanisms with Overarching Human Rights Framework 
  • 18 July, Solidarity for Asian People's Advocacy (SAPA) Taskforce on ASEAN and Human Rights, Women's Caucus on ASEAN Human Rights Body and Taskforce on ASEAN Migrant Workers (TF-AMW) Letter to Kasit Piromya, Foreign Minister of Thailand and ASEAN Chair
  • 17 July, FORUM-ASIA ASEAN human rights body: fatal flaws yet to be addressed
  • 17 July, joint statement Burma is a Key Benchmark for ASEAN: Protect People-Centered Principles and Human Rights
  • 2 July, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights urges ASEAN to create an independent human rights body 
  • 30 June, joint statement ASEAN Human Rights Body Should Be Strong Enough to Protect the Rights of Children in ASEAN
  • 24 June, FORUM-ASIA's Letter to ASEAN Chair
  • 22 June, FORUM-ASIA and Solidarity for Asian People's Advocacy (SAPA) Task Force on ASEAN and Human Rights Letter to Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Chairperson of the High Level Panel on the establishment of the ASEAN Human Rights Body
  • 23 June, 200 NGOs demand: Protection mandates and independent experts for ASEAN human rights body!
    
  • 18 June, ASEAN should establish a human rights body that is not below international standards 
  • 20 March - Key Points of Concern on the Draft Terms of Reference (TOR) of the ASEAN Human Rights Body (AHRB)
  • 21 February 2009, The Process of Drafting the Term of Reference (TOR) on the ASEAN human Rights Body and Civil Society Involvement
  • 28 November, FORUM-ASIA's letter to the Parliament of Australia
  • 7 November, Proposed Heads of Discussion for the Terms of Reference of the ASEAN Human Rights Commission
    
  • 7 August 2008, Submission from the Second Regional Consultation on ASEAN and Human Rights to the High Level Panel on the Establishment of the ASEAN Human Rights Body

• Letter to the chairperson of the High Level Panel (HLP) on the establishment of the ASEAN human rights body 
• Letter to parliament members 
• The contact list of the High Level Panel on the establishment of the ASEAN human rights body

Letters by the Solidarity for Asian Peoples Advocacy (SAPA) Task Force on ASEAN Migrant Workers

• 18 July, press release by Solidarity for Asian People's Advocacy (SAPA) Task Force on ASEAN Migrant Workers
• 17 June, To Indonesian government's working team on the ASEAN Instrument to be developed by the ASEAN Committee for Migrant Workers (ACMW)
  
• 7 June, On the ASEAN Committee on Migrant Workers (ACMW) Workshop on the Scope andCoverage and Rights of Migrant Workers
  
• 12 May, On the ASEAN civil society Framework Instrument on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers for the consideration of the ASEAN Member States and the ASEAN Secretariat
  
• 23 March, On the ASEAN Committee on Migrant Workers (ACMW) Workshop on the Scope andCoverage and Rights of Migrant Workers

Reference

• Draft: Terms of Reference of an ASEAN Human Rights Body

News related

• 22 July, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights UN Human Rights Chief welcomes important step towards establishment of ASEAN Commission on Human Rights
• 3 April, NGO network calls for an independent, accountable and effective ASEAN human rights body
• 13 March, ASEAN must establish dispute prevention and settlement mechanism
• 3 March, Civil society wants ASEAN human rights body with "teeth"
• 3 March, ASEAN must ensure independence and effectiveness of its human rights body
• 5 February 2009, National workshops planned for CSO to comment on ASEAN Human Rights Body terms of reference