Suhakam to provide human rights education through SDGs

KUALA LUMPUR: The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) is committed to promoting the human rights dimensions of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by providing education to all stakeholders, said its chairman Tan Sri Hasmy Agam.
     
"It includes to the relevant ministries, members of Parliament and civil society. Suhakam also hopes to advise the government on the human rights compatability of domestic policies that may be implemented to realise the SDGs," he said in a statement here, today.

All United Nations (UN) member states including Malaysia, are expected to use the SDGs, that will take effect on Jan 1 next year to frame their agendas and policies over the next 15 years, in order to realise the new international official framework, "Transforming Our World: the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development".

"This comprehensive, far-reaching and people-centric set of universal and transformative goals comprise 17 SDGs and 169 targets that seek to assist international development, priorities and collaboration up to 2030 to eradicate poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change.

"Suhakam summarises that SDGs are inextricably linked to human rights through two goals concerning economic, social and cultural rights such as poverty, food security and improved nutrition, health and well-being, quality education as well as water and sanitation.

"All these are enshrined in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The commission therefore advises the government to accede to the ICESCR as soon as possible," he said.

Hasmy said the second goal is concerning civil and political rights that relates to access to justice for all.

Accordingly, Suhakam advised the goverment to promptly accede to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to assist Malaysia in successfully implementing the 2030 Agenda with the continued and expanding participation of all stakeholders.

Elaborating, Hasmy said that national policies must now aim to be universal in principle, while paying particular attention to the needs of disadvantaged and marginalised populations such as the Orang Asli.

The UN Summit on Sept 25 reached an agreement to implement the SDGs by replacing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which was drafted by UN for the 2000-2015 period. –Bernama