Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions Migrant workers’ rights and advocacy Migrant workers’ rights training resource. In September 2012, the APF published its training and information manual on Promoting and Protecting the Rights of Migrant Workers: A Manual for National Human Rights Institutions. The manual includes a number of practical good practice examples submitted by the migrant worker focal point officers situated in each APF member institution. In addition, a week-long training program, organised by the Diplomacy Training Program, was held in Doha, Qatar from 15–19 October 2012. Nine staff from APF member NHRIs participated in the training with the financial support from the APF. Key goals of the program were to forge stronger partnerships between NHRIs, NGOs and trade unions and to develop concrete strategies to advance the rights of migrant workers at the national and regional level. Participants were provided with the knowledge and advocacy skills to begin to narrow the gap between international standards and real life experiences of many migrant workers. From 18 March – 12 April 2013, the APF undertook the online component of the APF’s pilot blended learning program on NHRIs and their role in the protection and promotion of migrant workers’ rights. Representatives from the NHRIs of Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, the Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Palestine, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste participated. Over four weeks of online discussions, participants examined: • the international framework on the rights of migrant workers • the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers • protecting irregular migrant workers in detention, and • the role of NHRIs in promoting and protecting migrant workers’ rights. Participants who successfully completed the online course then took part in a five-day regional workshop, held in Manila, Philippines from 13–17 May 2013. Participants developed project proposals on migrant workers to take back to their respective NHRIs for consideration. Participants in an APF regional training workshop on the rights of migrant workers. Photo by the APF/ Suraina Pasha. 14 | 1. Enhance members’ institutional capacity to promote and protect human rights