Annual Report 2013–2014 Asian NGOs Network on NHRIs At the APF’s 18th Annual Meeting and Biennial Conference held in Doha, Qatar, ANNI held its co-located conference from 29-30 September 2013. The APF promotes cooperation between NHRIs and NGOs and at each Annual Meeting and Biennial Conference, the APF facilities interaction and cooperation with ANNI NGOs. ANNI held an NGO meeting in parallel with the APF’s Annual Meeting and representatives from ANNI were invited to meet with all APF member institutions during the APF’s Forum Councillor meeting on 1 October 2013. The APF’s Forum Councillors expressed their appreciation for the constructive contribution of ANNI. The APF also participated in the 7th Regional Consultation of ANNI which was held from 22-23 April 2014 in Taipei, Taiwan. Participants included the national NGO members of Forum-Asia and ANNI from Bangladesh, Burma-Myanmar, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Maldives, Mongolia, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Timor-Leste. Issues discussed included: • review of national human rights developments • progress on establishment of NHRIs (Burma-Myanmar, Japan, Pakistan and Taiwan) • relationship with APF • engagement with NHRIs, and • engagement with parliaments and governments. Staff placements The APF facilitates staff placements and exchanges between APF member institutions to ensure ‘southsouth’ cooperation and the exchange of information. From 15-21 December 2013, two representatives of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia visited the National Human Rights Commission of India. The placement focused specifically on the Indian Commission’s compliant handling procedures and computerised complaints management system. From 5-8 May 2014, two representatives of the Danish Institute for Human Rights visited the APF secretariat to examine its blended learning approach, in particular the APF’s virtual learning environment. The Danish representatives also discussed mutual cooperation between the two organisations. Senior Executive Officers Network From 23-24 June 2014, the senior executive officers (SEO) from each APF member institution met in Sydney, Australia for a roundtable discussion of issues related to the administration of effective NHRIs. The two-day meeting, hosted by the Australian Human Rights Commission, allowed members of the APF’s SEO Network to share their experiences on key management issues, such as, building relationships with key stakeholders, refugees and asylum seekers, NHRIs operating in times of civil unrest, and business and human rights. Rights of Older Persons Workshop From 13-15 May 2014, the APF brought together representatives from all 21 APF member NHRIs to identify and discuss the key elements that should be included in a possible international convention on the rights of older people. The meeting was held in Sydney, Australia and hosted by the Australian Human Rights Commission. The workshop provided an opportunity for NHRIs to share their views, find common ground and develop a clear regional direction on the content and focus of a potential new UN convention which is currently under consideration by the UN Open-ended Working Group on Ageing (OEWG). 2. Enhance members’ communication, cooperation and engagement | 23