08-07-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Mohamad: Asean must uphold human rights to achieve Asean 2045 vision
KUALA LUMPUR: Asean must uphold its human rights commitments to achieve the goals of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on 'Asean 2045: Our Shared Future'.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan highlighted the importance of promoting and protecting human rights to ensure shared prosperity, equitable growth and social justice in the region.
"As we work towards realising the vision, Asean must uphold its human rights commitments.
"Our aspirations for a resilient, dynamic and people-centred Asean will only be meaningful if we first ensure the rights and dignity of our people," he said in his opening remarks at the Asean Foreign Ministers' Interface with Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) representatives.
AICHR, established in October 2009 as a consultative body to Asean, is developing two declarations.
Mohamad said the body is developing the Declaration on the Right to a Safe, Clean Healthy and Sustainable Environment and the Declaration on Promoting the Right to Development and Peace Towards Realising Inclusive and Sustainable Development.
He said the meeting today would discuss AICHR's 2025 annual report.
"This is an opportunity for ministers to be updated on AICHR's achievements, challenges and the way forward in advancing human rights across the region."
He said efforts to promote and protect the well-being of Asean citizens should be Asean-led and Asean-owned.
"They should reflect the values and norms of our member states, while ensuring alignment with the Asean Charter and the Asean Human Rights Declaration."
