ASEAN Peoples’ Forum 2014 Representatives Meet with ASEAN Affairs Department of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar to Prepare for an Interface Meeting with ASEAN Leaders

Members of Steering Committee of ASEAN Civil Society Conference/ ASEAN Peoples’ Forum (ACSC/APF) 2014, yesterday, met with ASEAN Affairs Department of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar at Naypyidaw to hold an initial discussion on interface meeting between ASEAN Civil Society representatives and leaders of ASEAN countries […]

Myanmar’s Chance to Set a Positive Benchmark for ASEAN Civil Society

On 21-23 March, the 2014 ASEAN Civil Society Conference (ACSC), otherwise known as the ASEAN People’s Forum (APF), will take place in Yangon, Myanmar. The ACSC/APF is held annually by the ASEAN Chair country – currently Myanmar – in advance of and parallel to the official ASEAN Summit, which will be held in May and […]

It’s “All Systems Go” for Largest ASEAN Civil Society Conference in Myanmar

It’s “all systems go” for the ASEAN Civil Society Conference/ASEAN Peoples’ Forum (ACSC/APF) 2014, which will be held in Yangon on March 21-23. The conference, expected to attract 1,200 participants from diverse grassroots, national and regional organizations, could be the largest regional civil society conference held in Myanmar in recent years. This week, members of […]

ASEAN Civil Society Organizations Reaffirms Commitment for Independent Peoples’ Forum at 4th Regional Consultation Meeting

Participants of the 4th Regional Consultation Meeting reinforced their commitment to maintain inclusiveness and independence of the ASEAN Civil Society Conference/ASEAN Peoples’ Forum (ACSC/APF) 2014. The ACSC/APF, which will be held in Yangon on March 21-23, could be the largest regional civil society conference held in Myanmar in contemporary history.

Sombath Somphone One Year On: 62 NGOs Call for a New Investigation into his Enforced Disappearance

We, the undersigned 62 regional and international organizations, express outrage over the Lao Government’s ongoing failure to shed light on the enforced disappearance of prominent activist and civil society leader Sombath Somphone.

December 15, 2013 marks the one-year anniversary of Sombath’s disappearance […]

Rights Groups Call on ASEAN to Implement New Declaration on Eliminating Violence Against Women and Children in Accordance with International Standards

Amnesty International and the International Commission of Jurists called on members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to increase efforts to protect the rights of women and children in light of the newly adopted Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women and Elimination […]

Civil Society Prepare for Open and Inclusive ASEAN Civil Society Conference

Civil society organizations called for open and inclusive ASEAN Civil Society Conference (ACSC) / ASEAN Peoples’ Forum (APF) to be held next year ahead of the Summit, and presented their action plan for organizing the conference.

“Myanmar has now taken up its responsibility as the chair of ASEAN. We hope that this will include providing the space for civil society from Myanmar to come together with civil society groups and networks from the region to discuss issues that matter to us and make recommendations to the ASEAN governments,” said U Aung Myo Min, Executive Director of Equality Myanmar […]

Civil Society Organisations Demand Meaningful Engagement with ASEAN Human Rights Bodies

Civil Society from a number of ASEAN countries have just convened at the 6th Regional Consultation on ASEAN and Human Rights in Jakarta from 1-2 October 2013. Over 80 participants from more than 59 organizations, both within and outside the ASEAN region gathered to discuss a range of issues, including strategies for bringing about meaningful engagement with ASEAN human rights mechanisms […]

Progress of Preparation for the ASEAN Civil Society Conference/ASEAN People’s Forum (ACSC/APF) 2014

Members of National Organizing Committee of ACSC/APF 2014 and representatives of Myanmar civil society organizations (CSOs) met with representatives of regional and ASEAN national CSOs from Cambodia, Laos, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and, Singapore on August 4 and 5 in Yangon to plan for the ASEAN Civil Society Conference/ASEAN People’s Forum (ACSC/APF) during Myanmar’s chair of ASEAN in 2014 […]

Statement of the Burma Civil Society Workshop on ASEAN

We, 28 representatives from 17 community organizations from Thailand-Burma Border, acknowledging commitment of Women’s League Burma, SAPA Task Force on ASEAN and Burma, Burma Partnership, Mon Youth Progressive Organization, All Kachin Student Youth Union and Pa-Oh Youth Organization to take part in the preparation and implementation of 2014 ACSC/APF […]