As Malaysia leads ASEAN in its current Chairmanship, 2025 presents a critical window to demonstrate regional leadership in advancing human rights—particularly in the prevention of torture. Despite ASEAN’s collective progress in strengthening protections against torture and ill-treatment, Malaysia has yet to ratify the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT). With fellow ASEAN members such as Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand having already ratified the Convention and undertaken significant reforms, Malaysia is well-positioned to learn from these experiences and show its own commitment to the region’s human rights agenda.

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The Act4CAT Coalition aims to seize this momentum by organizing a regional, multi-stakeholder dialogue that brings together civil society representatives, government stakeholders, law enforcement officials, and legal experts. This dialogue will serve as a platform for peer learning, where Malaysia can engage directly with counterparts who have navigated the process of UNCAT ratification and implementation. More than just a policy conversation, this initiative seeks to normalize the idea that ratifying and implementing UNCAT is both achievable and beneficial.

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Rationale

Over the past decade, ASEAN has taken meaningful steps toward preventing torture and ill-treatment, with the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) playing a pivotal role. AICHR’s efforts have included the adoption of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration in 2012—affirming the right to be free from torture—as well as a series of regional workshops, dialogues, and peer-learning initiatives aimed at strengthening the capacity of Member States to implement international human rights standards.

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Notably, AICHR co-hosted the 2015 Regional Workshop on Preserving Human Dignity by Preventing Torture in Bali and the 2018 High-Level Dialogue on the Rights of Accused Persons in Malaysia, laying the groundwork for more constructive engagement on torture prevention across ASEAN. More recently, its collaboration with the Southeast Asia National Human Rights Institutions Forum (SEANF) in 2024 demonstrated a renewed commitment to promoting a torture-free region.

Despite these developments, torture and ill-treatment remain pressing issues in several ASEAN countries, including Malaysia. While Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines have ratified UNCAT, progress in implementing its provisions varies, revealing both challenges and valuable lessons. These examples offer Malaysia a unique opportunity to engage in regionally grounded peer-to-peer learning, where it can draw from the experiences of its neighbours while contributing to a broader ASEAN conversation on accountability and institutional reform.

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Malaysia’s current ASEAN Chairmanship presents a timely platform to amplify this regional momentum. By convening key stakeholders—civil society actors, law enforcement agencies, legal practitioners, and government officials—this initiative aims to strengthen Malaysia’s path toward UNCAT ratification and the adoption of a domestic Anti-Torture Law. Anchoring these efforts in a regional context not only supports Malaysia’s reform agenda but also reinforces ASEAN’s collective commitment to uphold human dignity and prevent torture across the region.

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This initiative is designed with two key objectives:

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1. Promote Regional Ratification of UNCAT: Facilitate discussions with representatives from ASEAN member states to encourage the ratification of UNCAT while examining post-ratification reforms, including legislative change, oversight mechanisms, and the potential for establishing regional accountability frameworks.

2. Explore Pathways for Legal Reform Following UNCAT Ratification in Malaysia: Convene discussions with Malaysian stakeholders on how to effectively translate the provisions and spirit of UNCAT into domestic law.

 

By fostering open dialogue and sharing concrete practices, the activity will support Malaysia in aligning itself with ASEAN’s growing consensus on the need to end torture and uphold dignity for all.