A/HRC/15/39 I. Introduction 1. The 15th Workshop on Regional Cooperation for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Asia-Pacific Region was held in Bangkok from 21 to 23 April 2010. It was attended by 71 participants, including 31 Member States from the region, as well as representatives of subregional organizations, national human rights institutions (NHRIs), United Nations agencies and programmes, and non-governmental organizations.1 The theme proposed by Thailand and accepted by Member States for the Workshop was “Strengthening regional human rights mechanisms by sharing best practices and experiences”. 2. In preparation for the Workshop, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) invited five resource persons with expertise in regional human rights systems, namely, Mr. Christof Heyns, Mr. George Wachira, Ms. Christina Cerna, Mr. Vitit Muntarbhorn, and Ms. Sriprapha Petcharamesree, to facilitate the thematic sessions and make presentations on the topic. Ambassador Sihasak Phuangketkeow of Thailand chaired the meeting and also made an expert contribution on the newly created Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR). II. Opening of the 15th Workshop 3. The Workshop was addressed at its opening by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Mr. Kasit Piromya, and by Mr. Homayoun Alizadeh, Regional Representative for OHCHR in South-East Asia, who delivered a statement on behalf of the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Kyung-wha Kang. The Minister observed that Thailand had hosted the workshop once before in 2001, and that Thailand was a candidate for the Human Rights Council in May 2010. He noted that the development of AICHR reflected the aspiration of ASEAN to be committed to international human rights standards, that regional arrangements had a powerful role to play in reinforcing international standards, and lastly, that human rights and democratic practice would be the practice of any country that was part of ASEAN. 4. The Deputy High Commissioner in her opening statement, delivered by the Regional Representative, reviewed some of the achievements of the last 20 years with regard to the original objective of the Asia-Pacific Regional Framework, and welcomed especially developments such as the creation of the Committee of Experts on Human Rights under the Arab Charter on Human Rights, as well as the creation of the AICHR. She also noted the consultations on the development of a human rights mechanism begun by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). The Deputy High Commissioner hailed the significant developments made in the region with regard to national human rights institutions, noting there were currently 13 “A” accredited institutions in the Asia-Pacific region, and highlighted the two workshops that took place in Manila and Samoa in 2007 and 2009 on the creation of NHRIs in accordance with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles). With regard to the right to development and economic, social and cultural rights, she welcomed the adoption by the General Assembly of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on 10 December 2008, and noted that, 1 Unfortunately the participation of the Deputy High Commissioner and representatives of some Member States was prevented by flight cancellations in the wake of the Icelandic volcanic eruption. 3