Barely 10 days after the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) deferred setting up a human rights watchdog due to opposition by developing nations,the stage now looks set for a debate on the establishment of a regional human rights mechanism in South Asia at the forthcoming SAARC Summit. The idea of such a mechanism,raised by Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed at the Thimphu Summit last year,figures in the draft declaration of the November 10-11 SAARC Summit,circulated among member states. It could become a ticklish issue given the sensitivity and apprehension of many member states,especially Sri Lanka. As per the draft declaration,member states,while noting that the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights in 1993 had called for the establishment of regional bodies for human rights,are expected to welcome Maldives offer to host an inter-governmental meeting to discuss the establishment of a regional human rights mechanism in South Asia. There were no takers for this suggestion when the Maldivian President had flagged it at the last summit. The draft declaration also talks of an agreement to dedicate a minimum of 0.5 per cent of their respective countries annual government revenues on renewable energy investment.
