AICHR convenes consultation on business, human rights, environment

At the event. (Photo: asean.org)

Jakarta (VNA) – The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), in collaboration with the European Union (EU), has recently convened a regional consultation on business and human rights, environment and climate change.

Conducted in a hybrid format in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the two-day consultation aims to support ASEAN’s endeavour to strengthen its policies and regional collaboration in order to achieve sustainable recovery, while simultaneously protecting human rights and the environment.

In his welcome remarks on May 29, Aishah Bidin, Representative of Malaysia to AICHR said that the issue of climate change is a major concern to ASEAN, as Southeast Asia is one of the most at-risk regions in the world to the impacts of climate change.

For his part, Igor Driesmans, the EU Ambassador to ASEAN, affirmed that being one of the world’s fastest-growing areas, ASEAN region continues to attract international investment, including from Europe.

According to Driesmans, economic growth must be balanced with the protection of the planet and citizens, a top priority of the EU-ASEAN Strategic Partnership.

In his keynote, Ian Fry, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Climate Change highlighted the key principles in advancing a human-rights based approach in the context of climate change./.