The Medium Foreseeing the Future: The Role of NHRIs in Creating RHRIs in the Asia-Pacific Region

Abstract

Still today, the Asia Pacific region faces very particular challenges in terms of human rights, as well as in terms of the existing structures available to address human rights violations. Moreover, structures of support, either at the national or regional level are often absent in the Asia -Pacfc region. The region has no comprehensive human rights instrument and no human rights mechanism jet. Governments in the region are often reluctant to cooperate with the international human rights system. Therefore we strongly support national human rights institutions to play an effective role in developing and consolidating credible human rights stems in the region. Once firmly in place, national human rights institutions should as much as possible seek to develop regional and sub-regional ties with sister institutions. NHRIs can and are seen as both state and non-state actors. This has profound implications for how they particate in the UN Charter and treaty body mechanisms. Yet, NHRIs have so far not made fill use of opportunities available to them. It is in the hands of NHRIs to determine their own future.