Functions Respect for human rights helps create communities where each person can live with dignity and make choices for their life. Respect for human rights is not an abstract concept. It is grounded in day-to-day life. It is about being able to go to school and get a decent education, and to receive adequate medical help when it is needed. It is about being treated fairly by others, regardless of your race, gender, age, what you look like, who you love or what you believe. It is about having safe working conditions and being paid fairly for your labour. It is also about being free from torture and ill-treatment, from arbitrary arrest, and from all forms of violence and harassment. NHRIs work to deliver on the promise of human rights so that people can lead the lives they choose and contribute to their communities. As independent bodies with powers to investigate and report on human rights violations, NHRIs stand up for those in need of protection and hold their governments to account for their human rights obligations. The APF provides support and advice for our members so they can help build fair, just and inclusive communities. We are supported in this work by a wide range of partners, including leading UN agencies and non-governmental organisations. To achieve its vision and mission the APF will undertake the following six functions. The prioritised activities, time frames, responsibilities and targets in this strategic plan are organised according to these functions: Function 1: Building stronger NHRIs The APF strengthens the capacity of our members through training, capacity self-assessments and high level dialogues. Stronger NHRIs enable the empowerment of isolated and vulnerable individuals to claim their human rights and forge sustainable partnerships with the State to realise human rights. They achieve this by receiving complaints, investigating abuses, calling for changes to law and policy, providing education on human rights and independently monitoring the State and its human rights performance. Function 2: Collaborating and sharing knowledge The APF exchanges information and experiences, builds cooperation and develops professional human rights networks to encourage peer to peer learning. The APF rarely uses professional experts. Rather we harness the expertise and experience that resides within our member institutions. Our ‘experts’ are the Commissioners and staff of our member NHRIs and their Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions Strategic Plan 2015–2020 10