Kuala lumpur: Under Malaysia’s leadership, ASEAN member states adopted two historic declarations affirming the right to peace, human rights, and sustainable development, as part of the ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future vision.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the declarations are the ASEAN Declaration on Promoting the Right to Development and the Right to Peace Towards Realising Inclusive and Sustainable Development and the ASEAN Declaration on the Right to a Safe, Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment. These were adopted at the 47th ASEAN Summit on October 26.

ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission for Human Rights (AICHR) Chair Edmund Bon described the adoption of the Right to Development declaration and the ASEAN Declaration on the Right to a Safe, Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment as ‘historic.’ ‘Two human rights declarations led by Malaysia,’ he marvelled to Bernama.

The declaration on the Right to Development aligns ASEAN with the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by underscoring inclusivity, sustainability, and the protection of human rights as central to the region’s peace and prosperity.

Meanwhile, the Declaration on Environment recognizes a safe, clean, and sustainable environment as a fundamental human right. ‘This declaration, I think, is a milestone because it, for the first time, acknowledges the need to have greater protection for vulnerable groups, including indigenous communities, persons with disabilities, women, children, and communities that are really impacted by climate change and the hazards of the weather and environment,’ Bon stated.

The declaration commits ASEAN nations to strengthen environmental laws, ensure public participation in decision-making, and provide access to justice in environmental matters, especially for those in vulnerable situations. It also seeks to protect the environment for present and future generations in line with the United Nations, the ASEAN Charter, and other international agreements member states are party to.

Furthermore, it encourages businesses and non-state actors to adopt responsible practices and use risk assessment tools, such as environmental impact assessments, to prevent and mitigate harm.