Human rights stand for equality, participatory and inclusive society that dismantles the structures of discrimination which drive poverty and inequality. To ensure the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all its peoples, ASEAN continues to:

• Take initiatives to work effectively on crosscutting issues with human rights implications;
• Integrate human rights considerations in all relevant policy areas of ASEAN Community building;
• Strengthen the regional mechanism of cooperation for promotion and protection of human rights in ASEAN;
• Take initiative with a preventive approach in addressing humanitarian issues, including public health emergencies, with regional and international humanitarian consequences and impacts on human rights; 
• Cooperate for accelerated actions to advance Sustainable Development Goals in tandem with promoting and protecting human rights; and
• Build a culture of human rights and peace with investment in human rights education.