10-9-2023 (JAKARTA) The national human rights commissions of Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines have signed an extension to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at finding solutions for stateless individuals.
The signing of this cooperation reflects the collective efforts made by the three national human rights institutions (NHRIs) in recent years to raise awareness about the significant number of stateless people in Southeast Asia, stated Atnike Nova Sigiro, Chair of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), on Saturday.
The extended cooperation, signed by Komnas HAM, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM), and the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHRP), focuses on defense, security, law enforcement, and human rights mechanisms agreed upon at the 43rd ASEAN Summit.
ASEAN member states have been urged to monitor the situation of stateless individuals to safeguard their human rights through inclusive dialogue and the consistent application of international law and regional agreements.
The objective of this mechanism is to shift the perspective from competition to cooperation, enabling all ASEAN entities to enhance regional collaboration in border management, cross-border legal assistance, and information exchange.
The scope of cooperation between Komnas HAM, SUHAKAM, and CHRP encompasses joint efforts to address the challenges faced by stateless individuals through a collaborative approach.
As a follow-up, the three human rights institutions have engaged in discussions concerning the draft action plan.
The cooperative initiative, which was initially launched on July 23, 2019, stems from the longstanding migrant issues prevalent in the Southeast Asian region.
Stateless individuals encounter difficulties in accessing fundamental rights such as education, healthcare, employment, and freedom of movement. This hampers the fulfillment of their human rights and poses challenges for the respective NHRIs in each country.
Moreover, as an active participant in the Southeast Asia National Human Rights Institution Forum (SEANF), Komnas HAM also addresses concerns related to nationality, citizenship, migration, and cross-border cooperation with other NHRIs.
