Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 29-30 April 2026 – The Provedoria dos Direitos Humanos e Justiça (PDHJ) of Timor-Leste participated in a regional workshop in Kuala Lumpur from 29–30 April 2026 to contribute to the development of a common template and methodology for national inputs to the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on the Right to a Safe, Clean, Healthy, and Sustainable Environment.
PDHJ was represented by Deputy Ombudsman for Good Governance Rigoberto Monteiro, alongside officials from the Legal Advisory, Administration and Research Unit, Terencia Nunes, the Promotion Directorate, Eduarda Peregrina, and Public Relations and Institutional Coordination Specialist, Olga Vilanova Sequeira.
The workshop was organized by the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) in collaboration with United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
The event brought together National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) from Southeast Asia, including representatives from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Timor-Leste, and Cambodia, to discuss regional cooperation and practical measures to strengthen the protection of environmental rights across ASEAN member states.
The initiative follows the adoption of the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 76/300 in July 2022, which recognized the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment as a universal human right and encouraged member states to strengthen related national frameworks and commitments.
During the workshop, PDHJ contributed to discussions on how regional templates and methodologies could be adapted to the national context of Timor-Leste. The delegation noted that public understanding of environmental rights in Timor-Leste remains limited, highlighting the need to identify relevant institutions, review existing national legal frameworks, and strengthen coordination among stakeholders.
PDHJ also emphasized that Timor-Leste’s initial national approach should focus on prevention through public awareness and education on environmental rights. This includes disseminating ASEAN declarations and the regional action plan to the public and key stakeholders, including government institutions, civil society organizations, NGOs, and relevant environmental agencies.
According to PDHJ, the regional action plan represents an important opportunity to strengthen ASEAN’s collective commitment to practical and context-based measures for the protection of the right to a safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.
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