For the 4th area consultation in crafting additional local inputs to the National Human Rights Action Plan (NHRA), more than 100 officials and partners from the government executive agencies and civil society from regions 6, 7 and 8 converged in Cebu City last Thursday (October 8).
The Cebu leg is the fourth in a series of area consultations that begun in Manila in August 2009 and to be completed in December through a national summit. The area consultation is a problem solving mechanism. It aims to instill national ownership of the plan in as many stakeholders as possible.
The consultation hopes to address human rights issues at their roots. It involves more than identifying wrongdoers and exhorting government to improve on its obligations.
The next and last consultation will be held in General Santos for cluster 5 comprising regions 11, 12 and ARMM.
Hopefully, the output of the series of consultations throughout the country is a legislative agenda on Human Rights. This piece of document will then be presented to the international community specifically, the United Nations that monitors human rights commitments.
The Philippines is a state party to about 26 international laws, treaties and covenants on human rights promotion, advocacy and protection. (PIA-7)