Annual Report 2013–2014 Introduction The Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions (APF) is a regional organisation that supports the establishment and strengthening of national human rights institutions (NHRIs) in the Asia Pacific. It provides practical assistance and support to its individual member institutions to enable them to more effectively undertake their own human rights protection, monitoring, promotion and advocacy. THE ASIA PACIFIC FORUM The work of the APF can be categorised under three broad areas: 1. Strengthening the capacity of individual APF member institutions to enable them to more effectively undertake their national mandates. 2. Assisting governments and civil society to establish and strengthen NHRIs in compliance with the minimum criteria contained in the Paris Principles. 3. Promoting sub-regional, regional and international cooperation on human rights issues. Throughout the reporting period the APF worked with its member NHRIs, local, regional and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), governments, and international organisations to bring about improvements in human rights. Dhaka, Bangladesh. UN Photo by David Ohana. Introduction | 3