Press Conference ASEAN Human Rights Declaration: The Cambodian Women's Perspective on Women's Rights and the CSO's View

Online, July 5, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Cambodian Women Caucus(CWC) and the Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC) are honored to inform members of the press that civil society organizations involved in protecting and promoting women's rights and human rights in Cambodia are working together to organize a Press Conference on our view on the ASEAN Declaration on Human Rights (ADHR). The press conference will highlight key messages of Cambodian Women Caucus(CWC) as well as those of the CSO in Cambodia in close collaboration with the Regional Women Caucus on the drafting process of the ASEAN Declaration on Human Rights.

ASEAN Charter has a mandate to develop an ASEAN Declaration on Human Rights (ADHR)for the region. ASEAN has commissioned the Intergovernmental Human Rights Commission, AICHR, to draft ADHR targeted to be ready for the 21st ASEAN Summit in November 2012 to approve. So far, the process of drafting the document has been less than transparent. Cambodia has organized a consultation with civil society on 3 July 2012 at the National Education Institute, without sharing a draft version of the declaration.

ADHR is a political declaration of ASEAN and is supposed to be foundation and aspiration for other binding documents for ASEAN in the protection of human rights of the 600 million people in the country.

In 2012, the Kingdom of Cambodia assumes the rotating chairmanship and will host the ASEAM summit. The theme for 2012 is "One Community, One Destiny as ASEAN community". The Cambodian Women Caucus, a member of the Southeast Women Caucus on ASEAN is taking this opportunity to provide a voice for Cambodian's women in this important process. Cambodian Women Caucus has opened up this platform with Cambodian Human Right Action Committee to have other CSOs to share their view on the process and of what CSO aspiration for AHRD.

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