Inter-governmental mechanisms: setting a region-wide agenda the foundation of human Priority focus: Environmental rights and climate change seek to promote peace, prosperity and partnerships among their life. But today, because One of the most urgent issues facing member States. In pursuing this vision, many of the issues they seek of human action – and communities in South-East Asia and to address – directly or indirectly – focus on common human rights inhuman inaction – the Inter-governmental mechanisms in South-East Asia and the Pacific challenges facing communities across their sub-region. Inter-governmental mechanisms rely on rigorous advice and analysis to shape region-wide policies that respond to these challenges and “A safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment is triple planetary crises of climate change, pollution, the Pacific is the impact of climate change and environmental harm. Rising sea levels and extreme weather events are already having strengthen national and regional institutions. NHRIs can add significant and nature loss is directly a profound impact on fundamental value to these discussions, including to support the integration of and severely impacting a human rights. As a changing climate rights-based approaches into policies and actions. NHRIs can also broad range of rights … play a vital role to promote implementation of these policies and actions at the national level. As these environmental increases the risk of natural disasters, NHRIs often find themselves working at the front line with communities in threats intensify, they crisis. The impact on vulnerable groups mechanisms of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), will constitute the single – including women, children, people with primarily the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human greatest challenge to Our project will involve State representatives from the human rights Rights; and representatives from the Pacific Islands Forum. human rights in our era.” Michelle Bachelet UN High Commissioner for Human Rights disabilities and indigenous peoples – is greatly magnified. Our project will develop a foundation for engagement and collaboration between NHRIs and inter-governmental mechanisms with the goal of supporting communities respond to human rights impacted by environmental harm and a changing climate. Through a series of strategic national activities, selected NHRIs will conduct research and engage with communities and other key stakeholders. They will share their analysis with their inter-governmental mechanism and discuss policy and planning measures that best respond to the issues they identify. Building partnerships for human rights In bringing together representatives from NHRIs and inter-governmental mechanisms for a series of facilitated roundtable discussions, we aim to: ■ Build recognition of the unique and complementary roles of NHRIs and inter-governmental mechanisms to promote and protect human rights ■ Develop a shared understanding of the means to address region-wide human rights issues ■ Identify opportunities for collaboration between NHRIs and inter-governmental mechanisms on human rights issues of shared concern ■ Generate positive sentiment about the value of collaboration and a commitment to ongoing dialogue in support of future joint initiatives. 4 5