MANILA, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The High Level Task Force (HLTF) drafting the landmark charter of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is confident it will meet the November deadline in time for the 13th ASEAN Summit slated in Singapore, said HLTF chair Ambassador Rosario Manalo of the Philippines here Tuesday.

    Manalo said at a press briefing that based on the progress that it has made, there is a great possibility the task force may be able to submit the final draft for approval by the foreign ministers in the first week of September.

    "The foreign ministers are already happy with what we have accomplished. We are reasonably confident that we will meet the deadline," she said.

    Manalo said that the charter will strengthen the ASEAN by making it a more responsive, rules-based, and people-centered organization that will create a culture of honoring obligations among its members and be held responsible by their commitments.

    She pointed out that although the foreign ministers did not discuss the matter of timing, the draft will carry provisions for a human rights body with the terms of reference to be established by the officials themselves.

    Manalo said there is no need for a compliance mechanism for the human rights clause, saying the charter itself will establish compliance by every member of the regional grouping.