ASEAN Should Give Attention Due To Haze Problem

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 (Bernama) -- The meeting of the South East Asia National Human Rights Institutions Forum (SEANF) which ended here Wednesday, recommends ASEAN member states to give due consideration to the serious haze situation in the region which has been recurring for many years. It further urged ASEAN companies to refer to the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which emphasises the obligation of the state to protect human rights and responsibility of business entities to respect human rights. "It is therefore, incumbent upon the governments to ensure the appropriate law and policies are in place and are enforced strictly to address this longstanding issue, as well as combat corruption and eliminate the culture of impunity. "Corporate entities must consider human rights principles and standards in the course of their operations," it said in a statement Thursday. The forum also expressed the need for ASEAN members to continue to give due attention to the potentially adverse impacts of climate change on human rights of its people. They urged ASEAN to intensify its national and regional efforts to identify and adopt mitigation and adaptation measures that were not in contravention with human rights standards. The SEANF also suggested ASEAN to work closely together and redouble efforts in combating trafficking in persons. The SEANF Communique ahead of the 27th ASEAN Summit in November was signed on Wednesday in Putrajaya, Malaysia's capital of federal administrative. The forum is a sub-regional grouping comprising Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, National Human Rights Commission of Indonesia, Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines, National Human Rights Commission of Thailand, Myanmar National Human Rights Commission and Human Rights and Justice of Timor Leste. --BERNAMA