August 2014 appeals to AICHR Representatives and Foreign Ministers

In time for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting last August 8 to 10, and special meetings of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) held days prior, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre sent an appeal to the AICHR Representatives for the public disclosure of the Baseline Study for Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Rights in ASEAN, which the Commission announced last June to have been completed. In a separate effort, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre joined 56 other civil society organizations led by FORUM-ASIA in appealing that the Foreign Ministers ensure a transparent, accountable and participatory review process of the AICHR’s Terms of Reference, and a substantial review that would provide stronger mandates and support to the AICHR – steps that we see as essential in any effort to strengthen the Commission’s ability to address business-related human rights issues in the region.

On August 8, we received a response from one of the AICHR Representatives about our request for the public disclosure of the Baseline Study. The e-mail stated: “Thank you for your letter enquiring after the Baseline Study for Corporate Responsibility and Human Rights. AICHR presented the study to the ASEAN Foreign Ministers today. We will be releasing it soon on the website. There was never any intention to keep the study under wraps.”

Copies of these appeals are available below.

November 2014 update

The summary of the Baseline Study has been made available in the AICHR website (linked below). However, the individual country reports have not been similarly made available. Business & Human Rights Resource Centre will request each AICHR Representative to make their individual country reports public, and will update this page with their responses.