ASIA: The shared responsibility of all member-states of the UN to act urgently on Darfur: case of Asian States

We, as members of national, sub-regional and regional NGOs from the Asia region have followed with serious concerns the 4th session of the UN Human Rights Council (Geneva, 12-30 March 2007) on the situation of human rights in Darfur. We noted with much interest, the active participation of the member-states of the United Nations from the Asian region. We recognized with deep appreciation, when the Asian member-states of the current Human Rights Council joined the consensus decision, in particular, to facilitate the full realization of the High Level Mission under the Human Rights Council decision S-4/101. As per the decision of the Council, we took note of the inclusion of H.E. Ambassador Makarim Wibisono from Indonesia as a member of the High Level Mission.

It is highly alarming that most of Asian States in the Human Rights Council have joined attacks on the report of the High-Level Mission on the situation of human rights in Darfur, led by Jodi Williams. These attacks come despite the dire need for urgent action from the international community to address the human rights and humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan.

The procedural and legal issues raised in relation to the High-Level Mission should not be used by Asian States to deny the people of Darfur their right to justice. It is very disturbing to witness this issue being used by some Asian States as a pretext to cover their own national interests, particularly the trade and investment interests in Sudan. This raises more serious question of complicity of members-state in the crisis of Darfur.

If the Council fails to address the catastrophe in Darfur its credibility will be placed in severe jeopardy. It is high time for Asian states, which constitute one of the largest blocs in the Council, to show the international community that they are capable of taking responsible and urgent decisions to resolve international human rights crises. Darfur will be a litmus test for Asian states’ credibility in the Council. The Darfur crisis also presents a critical opportunity for Asian states to show that they can rise to the occasion, when an international crisis demands their constructive contribution to human rights promotion and protection.

Asian States in the Council must live up to their pledges as Member States of the Council to protect and promote human rights globally and to act in the interest of human rights. We urge the Asian states in the Council to take strong stand in adopting the follow-up decisions in this week Council voting with a view to supporting the High-Level Mission’s continued monitoring of the situation in Darfur and its recommendations to the Council for further action.

Endorsed by

NGOs with ECOSOC Consultative Status

1. Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), Bangkok
2. Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC), Hong Kong
3. Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), New Delhi
4. AIN O SALISH KENDRA (ASK), Bangladesh
5. Center for Organization Research and Education (CORE), India
6. International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (INFID), Indonesia

NGOs without ECOSOC Consultative Status

1. International Women’s Rights Action Watch (IWRAW) Asia Pacific, Kuala Lumpur
2. South Asia Forum for Human Rights (SAFHR), Katmandu
3. Madaripur Legal Aid Association (MLAA), Bangladesh
4. Odhikar, Bangladesh
5. Resource Integration Center (RIC), Bangladesh
6. Human Rights Education Institute of Burma (HREIB), Burma/Thailand
7. Cambodia League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO), Cambodia
8. Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC), Cambodia
9. ADHIKAR, India
10. Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), India
11. Friend’s Association for Rural Reconstruction (FARR), India
12. Human Rights Alert, India
13. Legal Resources for Social Action (LRSA), India
14. People’s Watch –Tamilnadu (PW-TN), India
15. Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), Indonesia
16. Indonesia’s NGO Coalition for International Human Rights Advance (HRWG), Indonesia
17. Inisiatif Masyarakat Partisipatif untuk Transisi Berkeadian (IMPARSIAL), Indonesia
18. Indonesia Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI), Indonesia
19. Koalisi NGO HAM Aceh , Indonesia
20. Sekretariat Anak Merdeka Indonesia (SAMIN), Indonesia
21. Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), Indonesia
22. The Federation of the Commission for Disappearances and Victims Of Violence (KontraS), Indonesia
23. Education and Research Association for Consumer (ERA Consumer), Malaysia
24. Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM), Malaysia
25. Center for Human Rights and Development (CHRD), Mongolia
26. Globe International (GI), Mongolia
27. Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC), Nepal
28. Women’s Welfare Society (WWS), Nepal
29. Women’s Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC), Nepal
30. Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Pakistan
31. Philippines Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), Philippines
32. Paglingkod Batas Pangkapapatiran Foundation (PBPF), Philippines
33. PILIPINA Legal Resources Center (PLRC), Philippines
34. Paralegal Training and Services Center (PTSC), Philippines
35. Tanggol-Kalikasan: A Public Interest Environmental Law Office, Philippines
36. Task Force Detainees of the Philippines (TFDP), Philippines
37. Think Centre (TC), Singapore
38. Korean House for International Solidarity (KHIS), South Korea
39. People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD), South Korea
40. Community Trust Fund (CTF), Sri Lanka
41. Information Monitor (INFORM), Sri Lanka
42. Law and Society Trust (LST), Sri Lanka
43. Taiwan Association for Human Rights (TAHR), Taiwan
44. Judicial System Monitoring Programme (JSMP), Timor Leste
45. The Hak Association: East Timor Association for Law, Human Right and Justice, Timor Leste