COLLECTING DATA TO FOSTER INCLUSION In May 2018, we supported six NHRIs – Bangladesh, Fiji, Philippines, Samoa, Sri Lanka and Timor Leste – to attend a ground-breaking international conference on using data collected with LGBTI people to advocate for safer and more inclusive communities. The two-day conference, hosted by UNDP and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, was held in Hong Kong. Following the conference, NHRI participants met together to discuss innovative research and education projects they will conduct in their respective countries. The APF and UNDP have provided the NHRIs with small grants to help them run their projects. MORE NHRIs FEEL CONFIDENT TO DEFEND RIGHTS The APF is tracking the capacity of our member NHRIs to deliver on their mandate to promote and protect human rights. We undertake a comprehensive analysis of multiple data sources every two years. This year we asked our members to provide a self-assessment of their capacity to do their work effectively. Eighteen of the 21 NHRIs (86%) that responded indicated their capacity was either ‘a little higher’ or ‘a lot higher’ than last year. Another important measure of the growing capacity of APF members is their commitment to implementing recommendations from the capacity assessments they have undertaken. 2018 Just 55 recommendations (from a combined total of 289) remain outstanding, compared to 86 a year ago. 2017 55 86 We feel that we have made great progress compared to three years ago. This progress would not have been possible without the continual guidance and support of the APF. OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN OF SAMOA, 2018 ANNUAL MEMBER SURVEY 144 2016 150 2015 NUMBER OF OUTSTANDING CAPACITY ASSESSMENT RECOMMENDATIONS ANNUAL REPORT 2017–18 11