Part I The human rights of women and girls • To uphold human rights as prescribed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, CEDAW, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Beijing Platform for Action, World Fit for Children, International Humanitarian Law and other international human rights instruments and regional declarations related to women’s and children’s rights to which ASEAN Member States are parties. • To promote stability and harmony in the region, friendship and cooperation among ASEAN Member States. Mandate and functions • To promote the implementation of international instruments, ASEAN instruments and other instruments related to the rights of women and children. • To develop policies, programs and innovative strategies to promote and protect the rights of women and children to complement the building of the ASEAN Community. • To promote public awareness and education of the rights of women and children in ASEAN. • To advocate on behalf of women and children, especially the most vulnerable and marginalised, and encourage ASEAN Member States to improve their situation. • To build capacities of relevant stakeholders at all levels, e.g. administrative, legislative, judicial, civil society, community leaders, women and children machineries, through the provision of technical assistance, training and workshops, towards the realisation of the rights of women and children. • To assist, upon request by ASEAN Member States, in preparing for periodic reports under CEDAW and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review and reports for other treaty bodies, with specific reference to the rights of women and children in ASEAN. • To assist, upon request by ASEAN Member States, in implementing the concluding observations of the CEDAW Committee, the Committee on the Rights of the Child and other treaty bodies related to the rights of women and children. • To encourage ASEAN Member States on the collection and analysis of disaggregated data by sex, age, etc., related to the promotion and protection of the rights of women and children. • To promote studies and research related to the situation and well-being of women and children with the view to fostering effective implementation of the rights of women and children in the region. • To encourage ASEAN Member States to undertake periodic reviews of national legislations, regulations, policies, and practices related to the rights of women and children. • To facilitate sharing of experiences and good practices, including thematic issues, between and among ASEAN Member States related to the situation and well-being of women and children and to enhance the effective implementation of CEDAW and the Convention on the Rights of the Child through, among others, exchange of visits, seminars and conferences. • To propose and promote appropriate measures, mechanisms and strategies for the prevention and elimination of all forms of violation of the rights of women and children, including the protection of victims. • To encourage ASEAN Member States to consider acceding to, and ratifying, international human rights instruments related to women and children. • To support the participation of ASEAN women and children in dialogue and consultation processes in ASEAN related to the promotion and protection of their rights. • To provide advisory services on matters pertaining to the promotion and protection of the rights of women and children to ASEAN sectoral bodies upon request. • To perform any other tasks related to the rights of women and children as may be delegated by the ASEAN Leaders and Foreign Ministers. Chapter 3: The institutional framework for women’s and girls’ human rights | 35