Regional Offices and Centres in Asia-Pacific |
Pacific (Suva, Fiji)
South-East Asia (Bangkok, Thailand)
South and West Asia
OHCHR - Pacific Regional Office |
The Pacific region is primarily composed of small island communities that are extremely isolated, both geographically and politically, and face widespread social and economic problems and ethnic tensions that have, at times, resulted in instability and civil unrest. In most instances, the national capacity to address these problems is low. Some of the most pressing human rights issues in the region include widespread poverty, violence against women and children, lack of judicial independence and ill treatment in detention. These issues are compounded by political and social instability and weak justice systems. There are also significant instances of racial discrimination. Processes of social reconciliation and peacebuilding in the Solomon Islands, civil unrest and emergency rule in Tonga, and a political crisis in Fiji all affect those nations’ key institutions.
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OHCHR - South East Asia Regional Office |
The Regional Office in Bangkok covers Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Viet Nam. Southeast Asia faces diverse human rights challenges. For the next biennium, impunity will remain a serious concern. Some government and non-governmental institutions in the region suffer from structural weaknesses in addressing violations of human rights committed by State agents. Sexual exploitation of children and human trafficking are common regional problems. The lack of specific and human rights-based legislation on human trafficking and on the exploitation of women and children is a major obstacle to tackling these issues. Although Southeast Asia is one of the most ethnically diverse regions in the world, protection mechanisms are not in place to promote and protect the rights of minorities and indigenous peoples. The issue of statelessness and the lack of protection for internally displaced persons and refugees have not been adequately addressed, but an ASEAN framework on migrant labour is being developed. Internal armed conflict affects several countries in the region, and there are no mechanisms to respond to its consequences. ASEAN has made formal declarations of support for human rights education, but these need to be translated into national policies, programmes or projects.
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OHCHR - South and West Asia Regional Office |
The Regional Office will cover countries in the South and West Asia region, including: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The South and West Asia subregion hosts a diverse set of human rights opportunities and challenges. Countries like Afghanistan and Nepal are in the midst of post-conflict transitions but face significant problems of insecurity, exclusion and lack of transitional justice. Democratic institutions and the rule of law are on the brink of reform in Bangladesh and the Maldives. Conflicts persist in several countries, including Afghanistan, regions of India and Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, with resulting human rights violations and displacement.
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