By Danial Dzulkifly
KUALA LUMPUR, July 8 — Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan has stressed that efforts to promote and protect the well-being of the Asean people must remain “Asean-led and Asean-owned”.
Speaking in his opening remarks at the Foreign Ministers’ Interface Meeting with the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), he said regional cooperation on human rights must reflect the values and norms of member states while staying true to the Asean Charter, the Asean Human Rights Declaration, and the Asean Community Vision 2045.
“As we work towards realising this vision, Asean must uphold its human rights commitments. Our aspirations for a resilient, dynamic, and people-centred Asean will only be meaningful if we ensure the rights and dignity of our people,” Mohamad said at the meeting held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today.
Malaysia, as this year’s Asean chair, has placed inclusivity and sustainability at the heart of its agenda.
He also welcomed AICHR’s efforts to develop two new declarations: one on the right to a safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, and another on promoting the right to development and peace.
“These declarations address urgent and pressing concerns, particularly for vulnerable communities exposed to environmental degradation, inequality, and instability,” Mohamad said, adding that the declarations would serve as key tools in advancing sustainable development across the region.
The interface also included AICHR’s presentation of its 2025 Annual Report, which outlined the commission’s achievements, challenges, and future direction. The session marked over 15 years since AICHR’s establishment.
The AICHR is among the key events of the 58th Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) scheduled from July 8 to July 11.
Among key figures that will grace the week-long affair are United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Asean Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn of Cambodia.
Rubio's visit includes participation in key regional meetings like the Asean-US Post-Ministerial Conference, the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, and the Asean Regional Forum (ARF).
The meetings, hosted by Malaysia under its fifth Asean chairmanship, will bring together approximately 1,500 delegates, including foreign ministers from Asean, Timor-Leste (as an observer), major powers including China, the US, and Russia, as well as representatives from the European Union, Japan, and Australia.
Myanmar will be represented by a senior official rather than its foreign minister.
