WUNRN
http://asean2014.gov.mm/event/asean-2014-summit/25th-asean-summit-0
25th ASEAN SUMMIT – 12-13 November, 2014
Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2014 – Myanmar
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations,
or ASEAN, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the
signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the Founding
Fathers of ASEAN, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and
Thailand. Brunei Darussalam then joined on 7 January 1984, Viet Nam on 28 July
1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999,
making up what is today the ten Member States of ASEAN.
http://humanrightsinasean.info/asean-commission-rights-women-and-children/about.html
ASEAN Commission on the Rights of
Women and Children
History
The ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and the Protection of the Rights of
Women and Children (ACWC) is an ASEAN regional human rights institution
established in 2010. It is an intergovernmental commission comprising 20
representatives, two from each of the ASEAN ten Member States.
ASEAN first called for the establishment of a commission on the rights of
women and children in the 2004 Vientiane Action Programme (VAP). In 2009, this
Commission was included as part of ASEAN’s community-building plan - the
“Roadmap for the ASEAN Community (2009-2015)”.
In 2009, the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Council endorsed ACWC’s
Terms of Reference (TOR) and the Commission was formally established on 7 April
2010. ACWC held its 1st official meeting
until February 2011, once all ASEAN Member States had nominated their ACWC
representatives.
Mandate
ACWC’s TOR defines ACWC’s purpose, mandate and functions. ACWC’s primary
purpose is to promote and protect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of
women and children in ASEAN. ACWC is tasked with upholding rights contained in
the Convention on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (CEDAW) and the
Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which all ten ASEAN Member States
have ratified.
ACWC is mandated to, among other:
1. Promote the
implementation of international and ASEAN instruments on the rights of women
and children.
2. Advocate on
behalf of women and children, especially the most vulnerable and marginalized,
and encourage ASEAN Member States to improve their situation.
3. Promote
public awareness and education about the rights of women and children in ASEAN,
including through promoting research on the situation and well-being of women
and children.
4. Assist, upon
request by ASEAN Member States, in fulfilling their international human rights
reporting obligations on women and child rights.
5. Encourage
ASEAN Member States to collect and analyze sex disaggregated data, and
undertake periodic reviews of national legislation, policies, and practices
related to the rights of women and children.
6. Facilitate
the sharing of experiences and good practices between ASEAN Member States in
order to improve implementation of CEDAW and CRC.
7. Support the
participation of ASEAN women and children in dialogue and consultation
processes in ASEAN related to the promotion and protection of their rights.
See the ACWC TOR for a complete list of ACWC’s mandate and functions.
Complaints of Human
Rights Violations
Like AICHR, the ACWC does not have a specific mandate to receive and
investigate complaints of human rights violations.
Composition
Each Member State appoints two representatives to the ACWC, one
representative on women’s rights and one representative on children’s rights.
The ACWC TOR requires that representatives be appointed through a transparent,
open and participatory selection process. When appointing their
representatives, the ASEAN Member States must take into account; the
candidates’ competence in women and/or child rights, their integrity and gender
equality within the Commission.
ACWC Representatives serve on a voluntary and part-time basis. Each ACWC
Representative serves a term of three years and may be re-appointed for a
second term. The government may decide at any time to replace its ACWC
Representative without notice or explanation.
ACWC Chairmanship
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Decision Making
Process
ACWC must meet at least twice a year and can hold additional meetings if
required. Decision making in the ACWC shall be based on consultation and
consensus in accordance with Article 20 of the ASEAN Charter. This means that,
like AICHR, ACWC cannot act without the full agreement of all Representatives.
Line of Reporting
ACWC submits an annual report to the ASEAN Ministers Meeting on Social
Welfare and Development (AMMSWD), copying the ASEAN Committee on Women (ACW)
and other relevant ASEAN sectoral bodies. The AMMSWD meets once every three
years.
ACWC falls within the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint.
Public Information
ACWC is obliged, by its Terms of Reference, to keep the public periodically
informed of its work and activities. ACWC does not yet have its own public
information strategy or a website, but publishes press releases on the ASEAN website.
Activities
Since its establishment, the ACWC has held seven meetings, the most recent
of which on 22-24 July 2013 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The meeting focused on
finalising the draft Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women
(VAW) and Elimination of Violence Against Children (VAC). During its Sixth
Meeting of the ACWC, members discussed the 15 projects undertaken in the ACWC’s 2012-2016 Work Plan - adopted during the 16-18 February
2012 ACWC Fourth Meeting - and tabled for adoption three new projects. As yet,
none of ACWC’s planned activities have been implemented through to completion.
ACWC’s 2012-2016 Work Plan - file:///C:/Users/Lois%20Herman/Downloads/ACWC%20Work%20Plan%202012-2016%20&%20ToR.pdf
– 28 pages