Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights Series (ASEMHRS)

Overview

Established in 1997, the Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights Series aims to bring together civil society representatives, academics and government officials from ASEM Partner countries for shared dialogue.

ASEF organises the Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights Series together with:

• Raoul Wallenberg Institute (nominated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden)
• Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, France 
• Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines
• Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China 

Supervision of the seminar is entrusted to a Steering Committee, which consists of the Seminar’s organisers as well as representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia and the European External Action Service.

ASEF’s contribution is with the financial support of the European Union.

Project Features

The following formula is employed:

• The participation of 2 representatives from civil society and universities (invited by the co-organisers) and 1 official government nominees from each of the ASEM partners;
• The participation of one representative each from the European Union and the ASEAN Secretariat;
• An agenda structured around the main topics related to the subject of the Seminar, with discussions held in closed-door working groups to allow a free and direct exchange of views;
• An independent background paper prepared by the main rapporteurs and commissioned by the organisers. The background paper addresses the key questions and core issues of the Seminar topic so as to meet the information requirements for the diverse set of participants;
• A set of recommendations elaborated collectively to be sent to the relevant institutions in ASEM countries as informal contributions to the official Asia-Europe dialogue.

Upcoming Projects:

21st Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights – “Human Rights & Climate Change” (ASEMHRS21) 

20th Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights – Training Component (ASEMHRS20)

Launch of the ASEMHRS20 Publication on “Human Rights of Older Persons” 

ASEMHRS on the map: