Kuala Lumpur, July 08, 2025 – The Europe Today: Promoting and protecting human rights requires a multidimensional approach and enhanced coordination between the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and specialised agencies, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn said on July 8 during a dialogue session with the AICHR. The event was held as part of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM-58) and related gatherings in Kuala Lumpur.
Deputy PM Sơn commended the AICHR’s contributions over the past 15 years and voiced confidence in its ongoing role in supporting the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and other regional initiatives. While noting significant progress, he underscored the need for AICHR to address emerging human rights challenges, including poverty, exploitative labour conditions, and the complex impacts of technology.
He also announced that Việt Nam will host an AICHR workshop on the rights of seafarers later this year. The workshop aims to raise awareness, share good practices, and foster regional cooperation in protecting maritime workers’ rights.
ASEAN foreign ministers in attendance welcomed AICHR’s role in mainstreaming human rights across the bloc’s cooperation pillars. They acknowledged the commission’s efforts in promoting the rights of women, children, and persons with disabilities, as well as its attention to contemporary concerns such as environmental sustainability, climate change, mental health, transnational crime, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence governance.
The ministers adopted the AICHR Work Plan for 2026–2030, urging the commission to align its activities with the ASEAN Community Vision 2045. They also called for adaptive, flexible, and innovative strategies to ensure a resilient, dynamic, and people-centred ASEAN Community.
On the same day, the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Commission convened its meeting, where foreign ministers reaffirmed the treaty’s importance in addressing regional and global security challenges. They reviewed progress in implementing the SEANWFZ Plan of Action (2023–2027) and endorsed greater cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to advance nuclear safety, security, and the peaceful use of nuclear technology in the region.
Ministers further supported efforts to elevate the SEANWFZ Treaty’s global visibility, including the submission of a draft resolution to the 80th United Nations General Assembly and continued consultations with nuclear-armed states for the signing of the SEANWFZ protocol.
The meeting also welcomed the forthcoming accession of Timor-Leste to the SEANWFZ Treaty, anticipated at the 47th ASEAN Summit in October 2025—marking another milestone in ASEAN’s commitment to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.
In his remarks, Deputy PM Sơn highlighted the enduring significance of the SEANWFZ Treaty, 30 years after its adoption, as a cornerstone of regional security and ASEAN’s enduring contribution to global disarmament efforts. He affirmed Vietnam’s ongoing internal preparations to facilitate Timor-Leste’s accession and called for stronger intra-ASEAN coordination to form a cohesive stance on engaging nuclear-weapon states.
Sơn also announced that Vietnam will assume the presidency of the 11th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in 2026, calling for close ASEAN collaboration and support ahead of the conference.
The AMM-58 is set to officially open at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on Wednesday, followed by a plenary session, retreat meeting, and a signing ceremony welcoming new partners to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC).
