The Formation of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights: A Protracted Journey

The institutional gap of regional human rights mechanisms in Asia represents a notable inconsistency with the global trend of human rights protection. Recently, efforts to promote regional cooperation have finally begun to move forward. The first governmental human rights institution, the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), began to operate in 2010. This article investigates this important development. Additionally, a historical review of various attempts for regional human rights protection in Asia is included. My examination shows a different path toward regime formation in Southeast Asia versus other regional counterparts. This article notes that the creation of AICHR has been deeply entangled with the development of ASEAN. Research suggests AICHR would not have emerged without the support of ASEAN, and that its capacity and future prospect is significantly constrained by the institutional framework of the association.