Singapore - Civil society groups in ASEAN countries met in Singapore on Sunday to raise issues affecting their people, and these issues will be presented in a report to ASEAN leaders when they meet in Singapore in November.
Issues such as ASEAN‘s economic integration have been brought up by the 50 delegates.
Although most of them agree that the integration would be a good thing, they worry about leaving out minorities and those who are vulnerable in the process of opening markets because economic progress is taking place at different paces across ASEAN.
The environment is also a big concern, especially with climate change and the task of tackling the annual haze situation and deforestation.
On top of that, focus is on the human rights body that ASEAN wants to set up.
Simon Tay, chairman of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, said: "Today, we‘ve discussed that this must be of the highest international standards, it cannot be some watered-down excuse of a committee that it can just shuffle paper around. We also emphasise that there are various areas which are critical for ASEAN to address – women and children for example."
Param Cumaraswamy, ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism Working Group, said: "After signing the ASEAN charter, the ASEAN governments will have to get on, as quickly as possible, the process of drafting the terms of reference for structuring the body in consultation with civil society groups."
Civil society groups are also hoping that the ASEAN Charter will be rules-based to make the grouping a more effective organisation.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com (30 Oktober 2007)
