Institutions for the Protection of Human Rights in Southeast Asia: A Survey Report

This research note presents the findings of an expert-based survey on regional human rights cooperation in Southeast Asia. The survey was conducted to explore the views of different actors in the region regarding the establishment of the ASEAN Inter-Governmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR). The survey also examines the case for a selective approach to establishing a regional human rights court for a selected number of Southeast Asian countries. The survey's findings have important implications and enable a deeper understanding of the process by which regional human rights cooperation is being institutionalized in Southeast Asia. As the survey results suggest, although the establishment of the AICHR represents a step forward, it may not substantially contribute to the development of a strong and effective mechanism to protect human rights in Southeast Asia. Respondents conclude that while the proposal for a human rights court for a selected number of regional countries is a good idea, significant challenges lie ahead and there is still a long way to go before the idea of a strong regional human rights system can be realized.