Youth and CSO
Advocacy in ASEAN
Yuyun Wahyuningrum,
Senior Advisor on ASEAN and Human Rights
Human Rights Working Group (HRWG) Indonesia
E-mail: [email protected]
ASEAN (Association of the Southeast Asia Nations)
10 member countriesEstablished. 1967
ASEAN Charter 15 Dec 2008
104031st Dec 2015
ASEAN
Community
Where is the Youth in ASEAN Community Building?
Youth is the FUTURE and the NOW in
ASEAN Community Building
The most important forces in the world are now shifting from state actors to people actors. ASEAN is not an exception.
Therefore, the needs of ASEAN to shift its perspective from a state-centered focus to a more people-centered focus is inevitable
The focus on youth participation and empowerment of youth is vital for ASEAN integration. It should be supported by both the government and young people themselves.
Young people were part of the solution to the problems raised in ASEAN. Young people are well known as an engine of change.
ASEAN’s Commitmentsthe 1983 Declaration of Principles to Strengthen ASEAN Collaboration on Youth, the 1997 Kuala Lumpur Agenda on ASEAN Youth Development
the 2000 Yangon Declaration on Preparing ASEAN Youth for the Challenges of Globalization
the 2001 Declaration on the Commitments for Children in ASEAN
the 2003 Manila Declaration on Strengthening Participation in Sustainable Youth Employment,
the 2010 Hanoi Declaration on the Enhancement of Welfare and Development of ASEAN Women and Children.
Youth has also been mentioned the SOCIO-CULTURAL COMMUNITY PILLAR as partners and beneficiaries in achieving goals for well-being.
How to make ASEAN’s socio-cultural pillar work?
One of the aim of the Socio-Cultural is to make an ASEAN, a cohesive community. This purpose cannot be achieved without the young people.
There is a need to shift mindset in ASEAN to young people as an investment for sustaining ASEAN Community and treat them as subject rather than as object. Moreover, the governments should provide a good environment to young people to express themselves.
At the same time, young people should believe that they have the capabilities to bring in changes. The capabilities should then be transformed into action by giving advice, insights, recommendations and inventions to ASEAN member states.
Contributions are what the governments need.
What Youth can do?
Young people may not be necessarily influential to change the ASEAN.
But if they speak with one voice and talk to their respective government on certain issues, they can be an influential element in Community Building
The problem is how to make them speak in unity and cross the “boundaries of mind” to realize a youth-centered ASEAN
Youth can channel their aspirations through various spaces like at home, school and religious institutions, community, society-at-large, and in the international forums such as ASEAN. Using various medium: social network, blogs, opinion etc
In a form of a) consultative process, b) participative process and c) promoting advocacy. It is important for youth to get themselves organized and start identifying some partners in promoting their role in ASEAN Community building
ASEAN Youth Forum, an
annual meeting of the youth (since 2009)
Photo courtesy of Jaruwan Supolrai, Regional Coordinator/ASEAN Youth Movement (Thailand), 2013
Brief info about AYMInitiated in 2008 by Thai Volunteer Service Foundation and its youth networks in Mekong Region
Organized 6 venues (AYFs), in 4 countries, 430 participants, 30 organizations
Served as an “open space”, a regional platform for participatory learning process for youth from diverse countries in Southeast Asia and beyond
Led and empowered by country coordinators and core-members, in coordination and communication through social network and have online meeting online regularly
Driven by advocacy and media work: AYM Magazine, Blog and FB 6,600 fans
Built up based on borderless solidarity, regional effort, friendship, spirit of sharing and creative cultural exchange among participants
With the sense of ownership and hope for a promise of a just, more peaceful and sustainable future in the region
Source: Jaruwan Supolrai, Regional Coordinator/ASEAN Youth Movement (Thailand), 2013
CSO Platforms in engaging ASEAN
Name frequent Engaging the body
ACSC/APF annually ASEAN SUMMIT Head of States/Governments
ASEAN Disability Forum (ADF) annually
ASEAN Youth Forum annually
ASEAN Grass-root People Assembly
annually
ASEAN Community Dialogue annually ASEAN Committee Permanent Representatives (CPR)
CPR
Civil Society Forum to AMM on human rights
annually ASEAN Ministers Meeting (AMM)
Foreign Ministers
Informal Dialogue between CSO and ASG
annually ASEAN Secretary General (ASG)
Secretary General
Jakarta Human Rights Dialogue in ASEAN
annually ASEAN Human Rights Mechanisms
AICHR, ACWC
GO-NGO Forum on Social Welfare & Development
annually ASEAN Senior Official Meeting on SWD
SOM officials
ASEAN Civil Society Conferences/ASEAN Peoples Forums 2005-2012
Year Place The Name of the Event
2005 Shah Alam, Malaysia
1st ASEAN Civil Society Conference (ACSC)
2006 Cebu, the Philippines
2nd ASEAN Civil Society Conference (ACSC)
2007 Singapore 3rd ASEAN Civil Society Conference (ACSC)
2009 Bangkok, Thailand
4th ASEAN Civil Society Conference (ACSC)/ 1st ASEAN Peoples’ Forum (APF)
2009 Hua Hin, Thailand
5th ASEAN Civil Society Conference (ACSC)/2nd ASEAN Peoples’ Forum (APF)
2010 Hanoi, Vietnam 6th ASEAN Peoples’ Forum (APF)
2011 Jakarta, Indonesia
ASEAN Civil Society Conference (ACSC)/ ASEAN Peoples’ Forum (APF) 2011
2012 Phnom Penh, Cambodia
ASEAN Civil Society Conference (ACSC)/ ASEAN Peoples’ Forum (APF) 2012 – March & November
2013 Brunei ASEAN Civil Society Conference (ACSC)/ ASEAN Peoples’ Forum (APF) 2013 – April 6-8
2014 Myanmar ?
CSO/NGO and Young People in ACSC/APF
Phnom Penh 2012
Jakarata 2011
Hanoi 2010
Cha Am 2009
Bangkok 2009
Singapore 2007
Cebu 2006
Malysia 2005
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400
Thematic Engagements with
ASEAN Human Rights Labor and MigrantsAgriculture and Trade IssuesFood Sovereignty and Land-related issues Extractives Industries: mining, gas, oilLarge scale dev. projects: damsEnvironment/ Climate JusticeHousing RightsGender Child RightsYouth ParticipationRefugees / Stateless Peoples/ Internally Displaced Peoples Indigenous PeoplesCommunication Rights and Freedom of InformationBurmaPeace and Conflict, etc
+ Our collective knowledge we
produced through 8 years’ ACSC/APF?
• Mainly: ILO, UNFCCC, CEDAW, UNCRC, UNDRIP, &MDGs
• Against unjust FTA, privatization,
• Reject neoliberal economic policies
• Democracy• Human Rights• Transparency• Accountability
• Particularly: Women & Youth, Indigenous People / Ethnic Minority, and CSOs
CSO Participation in Decision
Making Process (1,2,3,6,7)
Adoption of Basic
Universal Values (3,4,5,6,7)
Adoption of UN Bodies’
related Conventions (1,2,4,5,6,7)
Holistic - rights-based
approach on
Development (1,2,4,5,6,7)
ASEAN’s Alternative Regionalism
(Source: HRWG Study, 2011)