Deadlocked
The High Level Task Force of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations needs to come up with the first draft of the Asean Charter soon. Foreign ministers of member-countries, who will be here for meetings next week, will review and deliberate on the draft.The final version is supposed to be ready by November for the summit to be held in Singapore.
Yesterday’s discussions, however, ended inconclusively due to an impasse on a provision that calls for the setting up of a human rights body in the region. The task force will thus be working overtime this weekend.
The Philippines has taken on an active role in pushing for the clause on human rights protection, and a spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs has said the country’s position is “non-negotiable.”
“We are pursuing this position forcefully,” says the department’s Claro Cristobal.
After gaining notoriety for a spate of political killings and encountering strong opposition to the recently enacted Human Security Act, the Philippines is now attempting to show its commitment to protect human rights.
There is opposition, predictably, from Myanmar. Task force officials also say they are exercising caution on the use of words to be used in the charter.
Laboring over the words is understandable. After all, the charter will serve as the association’s fundamental document and embody its beliefs and objectives.
But as we have seen so many times before, even the most prolonged discussions on wordings are rendered insignificant once the charter is in place. Then, implementation becomes key. This will determine whether the most carefully crafted provisions will indeed achieve their aim.
