SAARC – The possibility of establishing a human rights mechanism in South Asia
16 April 2010 1:37 am

The
Peoples' Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) has written an
open letter to all governments of the South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation, to request for a possibility of establishing a
human rights mechanism in South Asia.  
The Peoples' Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) has written an open letter to all governments of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, to request for a possibility of establishing a human rights mechanism in South Asia.   
 
There is no regional mechanism on Human Rights in South Asia such as in Europe, America, Africa and recent as in Southeast Asia except SAARC 'Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms' of the people of the region.A regional mechanism can help address this problem to ensure that all SAARC member states adhere to international human rights standards; to provide a common platform where SAARC member states, being socio-politically different from each other, can articulate their human rights-related concerns; and to cooperate to address violations and collectively show its stand on human rights-related issues.
 
The establishment of the regional human rights body can play fundamental role in protecting and promoting international human rights standards by helping to address shortcomings in national frameworks and complement existing international human rights mechanisms.
 
INSEC and Forum Asia urged SAARC to promote the increased and institutionalized role of civil society groups to encourage their full integration in the process of the establishment and development of the SAARC human rights body, to create a "people-oriented SAARC".  "Engaging civil society and deriving international experience through it would be valuable process to internalize SAARC with the people of the region."
 
The letter is also available here.