By ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights

The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), in line with its mandate under its Terms of Reference, issues the following statement for the consideration of ASEAN Member States, ASEAN Sectoral Bodies and Entities, and relevant stakeholders.

Recalling the ASEAN Charter, the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration, the Phnom Penh Statement on the Adoption of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (2012), and the ASEAN Declaration on Promoting the Right to Development and the Right to Peace Towards Realising Inclusive and Sustainable Development (2025);

Reaffirming the ASEAN Enabling Masterplan 2025: Mainstreaming the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as well as other relevant ASEAN instruments promoting disability inclusion and sustainable development;

Guided by the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the commitment to leave no one behind;

Acknowledging AICHR’s past initiatives on the rights of persons with disabilities and its ongoing efforts to promote cross-pillar and cross-sectoral cooperation within ASEAN;

Recognising the deliberations and recommendations emerging from the Regional Consultation to Promote Disability Inclusivity in the ASEAN Communities: Towards and Beyond EMP 2025, held on 9 December 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand;

Noting the critical role of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities, development partners, and local communities in advancing disability-inclusive initiatives;

Stressing the importance of meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes related to disability-inclusion policies, programmes, and initiatives at national and regional levels;

This note is non-binding and offered for consideration of ASEAN Member States, relevant ASEAN Sectoral Bodies and Entities, and other stakeholders in ASEAN:

  1. Encourage ASEAN to move beyond stocktaking as the ASEAN Enabling Masterplan 2025 nears completion and to consider a forward-looking post-2025
    pathway aligned with the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, reflecting evolving expectations for disability inclusion.
  2. Promote disability inclusion as a cross-pillar priority by supporting integration across the political-security, economic, and socio-cultural pillars, including in
    areas linked to economic and digital transformation, climate impacts, and labor mobility.
  3. Encourage sustained attention to the right to work, inclusive employment, and entrepreneurship as core to dignity, resilience, and regional competitiveness,
    while noting persistent barriers, including discrimination, limited skills development, a lack of reasonable accommodation, and uneven implementation of support measures.
  4. Support efforts to address structural constraints related to disability disaggregated data, harmonised indicators, and implementation capacity, including through sharing lessons learned and strengthening areas where progress has been uneven across pillars.
  5. Promote sustained multi-stakeholder partnerships and cross-sectoral cooperation, including the role of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities
    and persons with disabilities, stronger cross-pillar coordination, and continued engagement with relevant responsible business conduct and human rightsbased approaches, as appropriate.

As part of AICHR’s commitment to this matter, AICHR will:

  • Continue to provide platforms for inclusive dialogue and exchange of experiences on disability inclusion in ASEAN communities, including reflections on lessons learned from the implementation of the ASEAN Enabling Masterplan 2025 and priorities beyond 2025.
  • Support engagement and cooperation, as appropriate, with relevant ASEAN Sectoral Bodies and stakeholders to promote the mainstreaming of disability inclusion across the three pillars, in line with ASEAN Community Vision 2045.
  • Promote knowledge sharing and partnerships with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities, the private sector, and development partners to support practical approaches and sustained efforts toward advancing disability inclusion in ASEAN.

AICHR reaffirms its commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights in ASEAN. Advancing disability inclusion across ASEAN communities, including through strengthened implementation efforts and forward-looking cooperation beyond the ASEAN Enabling Masterplan 2025, is essential to building a people-centred, inclusive, and resilient ASEAN Community that upholds human dignity, equality, and shared prosperity.

Source: https://aichr.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Adopt-ad-ref_11.2.c_AICHR-Note-on-Post-EMP-2025_as-of-13-Mar-2026.pdf. Archived at https://perma.cc/D4SK-8R84