Kuala Lumpur, 28–29 April 2025 — The Deputy Ombudsman for Good Governance, Rigoberto Monteiro, participated as a panelist at the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) Regional Consultationsheld in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Representing Timor-Leste in his capacity as Observer to AICHR, Mr. Monteiro joined distinguished speakers and regional stakeholders in discussions on advancing human rights through inclusive development and cooperation within ASEAN.
These consultations, convened back-to-back, included:
- The 2nd AICHR Consultation on the Human Right to Development to Enhance the ASEAN Community, held on 28 April 2025, and
- The AICHR Regional Consultation to Support the Development of AICHR’s Five-Year Work Plan (2026–2030), held on 29 April 2025.
Both events were organized in line with the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and served to deepen dialogue on critical regional issues such as the realization of Article 35 of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD), stakeholder engagement, and the shaping of a strategic and inclusive human rights agenda for the coming years.
As a panelist in Session 3: “Moving Forward – Advancing Stakeholder Engagement and Regional Human Rights Cooperation”, Mr. Monteiro shared insights on how AICHR’s future work can reflect Timor-Leste’s human rights priorities, which include strengthening democratic governance, promoting social inclusion, enhancing the rights of women and vulnerable groups, and ensuring equitable development in rural areas. He emphasized the importance of early and inclusive engagement of Timor-Leste in regional dialogues and encouraged AICHR to facilitate opportunities for cooperation with national institutions like the Office of the Provedor for Human Rights and Justice (PDHJ).
In his intervention, Mr. Monteiro also highlighted the relevance of incorporating Timor-Leste’s experiences in AICHR’s thematic workstreams, and called for stronger mechanisms for civil society participation and peer learning across ASEAN. He further advocated for institutional collaboration and capacity-building to prepare Timor-Leste for full integration into the ASEAN human rights framework.
These regional consultations form part of a collaborative initiative led by Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Lao PDR, and Singapore, and are part of the formal process to develop the AICHR Five-Year Work Plan (2026–2030), which is expected to be adopted by mid-2025. This process follows a comprehensive review of the current work plan (2021–2025) and aims to integrate cross-cutting human rights issues such as gender equality, digital rights, environmental justice, and sustainable development into ASEAN’s strategic agenda.
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