JAKARTA, Indonesia, 17 November 2025 – At the invitation of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), the Provedor for Human Rights and Justice of Timor-Leste, Virgílio da Silva Guterres “Lamukan”, contributed to the 7th ASEAN Human Rights Dialogue on November 17, 2025.
The 7th ASEAN Human Rights Dialogue is a high-level, closed-door meeting designed as a platform for ASEAN Member States to share progress, challenges, and best practices in human rights promotion and protection. The 2025 dialogue featured focused discussions on Business and Human Rights, Human Rights and the Environment, and Online Scams and Trafficking-in-Persons.
As an invited stakeholder, Provedor Guterres provided crucial, ground-level insights during Session #3: Stakeholders’ Views. He commended the Dialogue’s focused format, stating that including National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) is “fundamental” for turning discussion into effective action.
From the PDHJ’s experience, the Provedor highlighted three key areas:
- Business & Human Rights: He advocated for the urgent creation of a National Action Plan to bridge the gap between economic activity and community rights.
- Human Rights & Environment: He identified this as a critical emerging issue that directly impacts rights to health and food.
- Online Scams & Trafficking: He stressed the need for a response focused on victim protection and justice, warning against penalizing the vulnerable.
The Provedor’s intervention underscored the PDHJ’s role in providing independent analysis to both the state and regional bodies, ensuring that human rights dialogue leads to tangible protections for the people of Timor-Leste and ASEAN.
This post is also available in: Tetun