In 2011, the ABA Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) began a U.S. Agency for International Development-funded program to work with Indonesian lawyers and Southeast Asian civil society partners in laying the foundation for a strong, independent regional human rights system in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Established in 2009, the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) adopted the ASEAN Declaration of Human Rights on November 18, 2012. As this new ASEAN human rights system develops, ABA ROLI supports regional advocacy and civil society engagement with this system to strengthen human rights in the region.