A 2009 study by the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights found that the global engagement between national human rights institutions with international and regional mechanisms remains significantly underdeveloped and reflects limited familiarity with these systems. The main objective of the 11th Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights, on Regional and National Human Rights Mechanisms was to facilitate a dialogue on regional and national mechanism-building. Specifically, the Seminar aimed to develop recommendations to strengthen regional and national mechanisms in the ASEM region.
The aim of the Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights series is to promote mutual understanding and co-operation between Europe and Asia in the area of political dialogue, particularly on human rights issues. The 11th Informal Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Seminar on Human Rights (23-25 November 2011, Czech Republic) was on the topic ‘Regional and National Human Rights Mechanisms’. The Seminar was organised by the Asia-Europe Foundation, Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, the French Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs and hosted by the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs.