WOMEN AND CHILDREN RIGHTS GET SPOTLIGHT IN ASEAN

By Ahmad Fuad Yahya

JAKARTA, Feb 17 (Bernama) -- The Asean Commission on the Promotion and
Protection of the Rights of Women and Children (ACWC) met for the first time
Wednesday seeking to promote the well-being, development, empowerment and
participation of women and children in the Asean Community building process.

The commission also promotes public awareness and education of their rights.

The agenda for the three-day meeting includes the development of ACWC’s rules of
procedure, its five-year work plan, including priority areas and initial
activities, and the election of the commission’s chair and vice chair.

It will also discuss how to align the ACWC with the Asean Inter-governmental
Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), the Asean Secretariat said in a statement
Wednesday.

“The establishment of the ACWC is very much welcomed not only by Governments of
the Asean member states, but also by regional and international communities,
including human rights defenders and democracy advocates worldwide,” said
Secretary-General of Asean Dr Surin Pitsuwan when opening the meeting.

Civil society organisations (CSOs) were engaged in the development of
Commission’s Terms of Reference and the selection of its representatives in some
member states.

“If we wish to become a sharing and caring community, we have to take care of
the women and children.

“We have to open up the space so that they feel ownership of Asean
community-building efforts,” said Dr Surin.

Each Asean member state has two representatives at the ACWC - one for women’s
rights and one for children’s rights.

On Wednesday the meeting decided on the election of Kanda Vajrabhaya from
Thailand and Ahmad Taufan Damanik from Indonesia as the Chair and Vice Chair of
the ACWC respectively.

They will serve the Commission for three years.
-- BERNAMA