Open Letters Call for Civil Society Consultation on the Enabling Law of the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission

By Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions • May 8, 2013

On 8 May, the Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI), a network of 30 organizations from 17 countries across Asia advocating for the strengthening of the independence and effectiveness of national human rights institutions (NHRIs) in Asia along with 25 organizations from Burma, sent letters to President Thein Sein and Thura U Shwe Mann, Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament, about civil society consultation on the enabling law of the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC).

The MNHRC has been in the process of drafting its establishing law for over one year. The law will most likely be presented to the Parliament in its next session in June. In the letters, ANNI expresses concerns that the draft legislation has thus far not been made public and that consultation with civil society organizations has been limited and non-inclusive, thus preventing robust public scrutiny and input that are vital to ensure the draft law’s full compliance with all aspects of the Paris Principles, the international standards all NHRIs must comply with to be considered independent and effective.

The letters call for the immediate publication of the full text of the draft enabling law and for a consultation process that includes all relevant stakeholders, including both registered and non-registered civil society and community-based organizations, grassroots peoples and communities throughout the country, especially those from ethnic areas and women’s groups, as well as the media.

The open letter to President Thein Sein is available here, and the letter to Thura U Shwe Mann here.

This post is in: NHRC Monitor

Open Letters Call for Civil Society Consultation on the Enabling Law of the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission

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