On November 7-8, 2024, the Deputy Ombudsman for Human Rights of Timor-Leste participated in the Regional Dialogue and Consultation: Advancing the Development of Environmental Rights in ASEAN, held at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, with an online component. The event gathered key representatives from ASEAN member states, human rights organizations, and environmental experts to explore how human rights can be integrated into environmental policymaking across the region.
Organized by the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), the consultation aimed to advance the development of an ASEAN Environmental Rights Framework. This framework seeks to ensure that all ASEAN citizens have access to a safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. The Deputy Ombudsman’s participation highlighted Timor-Leste’s commitment to regional collaboration and the protection of human rights in environmental governance.
Throughout the event, the Deputy Ombudsman attended most of the sessions, which focused on key issues such as climate change, transboundary haze, urban pollution, and the interconnections between environmental challenges and human rights. The discussions also addressed strategies for advancing the protection of environmental rights within ASEAN.
Along with the Deputy Ombudsman, Aureo José Antonio Savio, Senior Professional for Good Governance at PDHJ, also attended the event. His participation further emphasized the PDHJ’s support for the regional efforts to advance environmental rights and the role of good governance in achieving sustainable environmental solutions.
The consultation concluded with a renewed commitment from all participants to continue developing the ASEAN Environmental Rights Framework, with the aim of promoting a coordinated regional approach to environmental challenges while ensuring the protection of human rights.
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