PHNOM PENH: Cambodia has hosted a regional workshop on human rights. It was in collaboration with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The CHRC says the insights gathered from Thursday’s workshop will be used to establish a National Human Rights Institution in Cambodia based on the Paris Principles.

They hybrid workshop was attended by the United Nations and other human rights institutions from ASEAN member countries.

The Cambodian Human Rights Committee says human rights are at the core of the Kingdom of Cambodia’s structure and existence. CHRC president, Keo Remy, has stressed that the Royal Government has recognised and ratified eight core international human rights instruments in the kingdom. Remy recalls that the decision to create the National Human Rights Institute, in line with the principles of the Paris Peace Agreement, started way back in July 1997. He says Prime Minister Hun Sen signed a sub-decree appointing a committee to prepare and draft a law that would see NGOs take responsibility for the work.

Fast forward to September 2006, and a national conference of the CHRC and ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism working group was held. Prime Minister Hun Sen again bringing up the establishment of a National Human Rights Institution. But until 2019, no significant results were produced by NGOs; and so, the path led to Thursday. With the CHRC coming together with the OHCHR, the Asia Pacific Forum based in Australia and other human rights institutions from across ASEAN, it is hoped that the goal of establishing a National Human Rights Institution will finally be realized.

CHRC Spokesman, Katta Orn, says, “We are on the way. We are on the process to the review of the draft law so that we get the consultation from the various stakeholders, NGOs, political parties and other institutions. After we collect all input, we will bring all the input on the table and we will invite OHCHR, APS representative and Cambodian Human Rights Committee members to choose what input we insert in the draft law. And then we will discuss the final draft before we submit to the Council of Ministers and the National Assembly for vote.”

CHRC president, Keo Remy, has emphasised that Article 31 of Cambodia’s constitution explicitly recognises the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as other international human rights covenants and conventions.

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