Initiatives

We, the undersigned international human rights organizations, are concerned that the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) has yet to take the necessary steps to ensure that the process of drafting the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD) is transparent and fully consultative with civil society organizations in the ASEAN region.

Buddhist monk Venerable Luon Sovath is one of three finalists for the prestigious Martin Ennals Award for human rights defenders announced today in Geneva. The announcement event is being ‘broadcast’ live at 11am Geneva time (5am ET) on www.martinennalsaward.org.

Freedom House and the Latin American Network for Democracy and Human Rights wrote an open letter to the Colombian government and leaders in the hemisphere calling for the inclusion of topics of democracy and human rights in their deliberations, and their inclusion in the agenda of subsequent summits. Nearly 150 activists and organizations from throughout the hemisphere signed the letter.

The International Coalition to Stop Crimes against Humanity in North Korea (ICNK), consisting over 40 prominent human rights organizations and activists, today submitted a petition to the special procedures of the United Nation Human
Rights Council calling for the UN to help shut down North Korea’s vast gulag system.