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15 Hum. Rts. L. Rev. 283 (2015)
The Significance of an Evolving Relationship: ASEAN States and the Global Human Rights Mechanisms

handle is hein.journals/hrlr15 and id is 292 raw text is: Human Rights Law Review, 2015, 15, 283-311 doi: 10.1093/hrlr/ngvOO4 Advance Access Publication Date: 3 April 2015 Article The Significance of an Evolving Relationship: ASEAN States and the Global Human Rights Mechanisms Helen Quane* ABSTRACT This article analyses the changing nature and level of engagement between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) States and the global human rights mechanisms especially the Universal Periodic Review mechanism. The relationship is sig- nificant for several reasons. It provides valuable insights into how these States approach the interpretation and application of human rights as well as the extent to which they are willing to open up to external scrutiny of their domestic human rights record. It calls into question claims that there is a collective approach to human rights within ASEAN, specifically one that embodies Asian Values or Asia's Different Standard on human rights. As this study shows, the approach of ASEAN States is far more complex, hetero- geneous and dynamic than such claims would suggest. Above all, by analysing the rela- tionship between ASEAN States and the global human rights mechanisms, it is possible to place recent human rights developments in ASEAN within their broader normative and institutional context. KEYWORDS: ASEAN States, Asian Values, Universal Periodic Review, United Nations human rights treaty body system, special procedures 1. INTRODUCTION Any discussion of human rights within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) invariably brings to mind the Bangkok Declaration of 1993.1 Formulated in the lead up to the United Nations (UN) World Conference on Human Rights, it as- serted what became known as Asian Values or 'Asia's Different Standard' on human rights. *Associate Professor, Swansea University (h.quane(&swansea.ac.uk). 1 See Final Declaration of the Regional Meeting for Asia for the World Conference on Human Rights ('Bangkok Declaration'), adopted by the Ministers and Representatives of Asian States Meeting at Bangkok from 29 March to 2 April 1993, pursuant to General Assembly resolution 46/116 of 17 December 1991 in the context of preparations for the World Conference on Human Rights, available at: www.hurights.or.jp/archives/otherdocuments/sectionl/1993/04/final-declaration-of-the-regional-meet ing-for-asia-of-the-world-conference-on-human-rights.htm1 [last accessed 19 February 2015]. 2 See Kausikan, 'Asia's Different Standard' (1993) 92 Foreign Policy 24. 0 The Author [2015]. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissionspoup.com . 283

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