SUMMARY RECORD OF THE INTER-REGIONAL SOUTHEAST ASIA NATIONS MEETING: “STRENGTHENING REGIONAL COOPERATION

ON THE PROTECTION OF WITNESS OF CRIME”

AGENDA ITEM 1: OPENING OF THE MEETING

1. The Inter-Regional Southeast Asia Nations Meeting: “Strengthening Regional Cooperation on the Protection of Witness of Crime” was held in Kuta, Bali, from 11–14 November 2013. The Inter-Regional Southeast Asia Nations Meeting was hosted by The Indonesian Witness and Victims Protection Agency in cooperation with Ministry of Foreign Affair of The Republic of Indonesia. The Meeting was attended by the delegation from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippine, Thailand, Cambodia and Papua New Guinea also representative from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) – Jakarta. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Andhika Chrisnayudhanto, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

2. The Meeting was opened by Mr. Abdul Haris Semendawai, Chairperson of the Indonesian Witness and Victims Protection Agency. In his opening remarks, Mr. Semendawai explained that the meeting was a mandate of the International Conference on Protection of Witnesses and Victims of Transnational Organized Crime held in Nusa Dua, Bali, 11–13 June 2012. As a way forward for the meeting, he suggested that the outcomes of the meeting and outcomes of the international conference be streamlined into existing regional mechanism, such as ASEAN and seek the possibility of establishing a regional mechanism that would strengthen networking at the operational level.

3. The Keynote speech was delivered by H.E. Ambassador I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja, Director-General of ASEAN Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia. In the keynote speech, he stated that the ASEAN Declaration on Human Rights would be the sound basis and epitome for furthering the work in the protection of the witnesses and victims in the region. For that reason, the suggestion of the keynote speaker is to inline the work of the meeting with the ASEAN mechanism. It is hoped that the meeting would start its work by a step by step approach towards the multifaceted nature of the issues related to witness and victim protection that to be discussed extensively. It is also cross-cutting in nature and involves various approaches, from the perspectives of upholding human rights standards, law enforcement, and prevention of crime. It is without doubt that strengthening regional and international cooperation in the protection of witnesses and victims underscores the importance of this Meeting.