Showing 1 - 8 of 8
Multilateralism in a fractured world
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 06/06/2024
» Multilateralism lies at the heart of international relations as an enabler of states to converge in an ever-changing world. It is closely linked with the United Nations (UN), setting in motion a rules-based system, embracing international peace and security anchored on international law.
Celebrating human rights in 2023
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 02/02/2023
» This year is a time to remember and reiterate two key instruments which have shaped responses to human rights implementation since the end of World War II in 1945. It was the task of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), based on a Resolution of the UN General Assembly adopted in 1948, to identify and list a number of key rights of a global nature.
Migration and climate change in Asia
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 17/03/2022
» The close connection between migration, human rights and climate change is increasingly self-evident, as "natural disasters" related to that linkage loom in many parts of the world. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) estimates that about 22.5 million people migrate each year within and across borders because of climate change and weather-linked disasters. These are all compounded by the spread of Covid-19 in terms of lockdowns and other restrictive measures.
Advocating for Afghan girls' education
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 20/10/2021
» Afghanistan is a rugged country of great beauty straddling Asia and Europe, and it has been the scene of warfare and contestation for decades. The Taliban, a group connected to extreme violence, especially in the late 1990s, emerged as the power in control of Afghanistan recently, due to the void left by outsiders. This is their second time in power and the world can remember all too well that from the mid-1990s until 2001, their rule at the time was harsh and brutal, especially in their clampdown on the rights of women and girls. The latter suffered immensely from a lack of access to school, while the former were also prevented from employment.
Asean watchdog needs substantive protection role
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 06/06/2019
» The Asean Intergovernmental Commission On Human Rights (AICHR) is 10 years old this year. How has it fared so far? In its work, it is the promotion-oriented aspect rather than the protection-based dimension which has prevailed to date and, with that ambivalence, the performance of AICHR leaves much to be desired.
Mixed bag in global fight for sexual identity equality
Oped, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 04/11/2017
» Everyone has some form of sexual orientation and gender identity. Sexual orientation denotes a person's attraction towards others, while gender identity concerns a person's self-perceived identity, which may be different from the sex assigned at birth, as well as the expression of gender identity. The issue is particularly interlinked with the lives of lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender people, abbreviated as "LGBT". There are implications for Intersex persons (persons born with atypical features) -- abbreviated as "I", although their concerns are more related to the issue of sex characteristics.
Shining moment for civil society
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 16/09/2014
» The role of civil society has come to the fore increasingly in recent years as part of the nation-building process in Asia. The term "civil society" itself can cover a range of actors, including non-governmental organisations (NGOs), community-based organisations (CBOs), informal groups, media personnel and individuals.
Asean must boost protection work
News, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Published on 01/07/2014
» A key achievement of the Charter of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in 2007 was to open the door to the establishment of a regional human rights body — an Asean human rights mechanism. Subsequently, the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) was set up pursuant to the Terms of Reference (TOR), adopted by Asean in 2009.