ASIA PACIFIC FORUM OF NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS In light of the fact there is no regional charter, framework or court, the Commission sees the role of the APF as critical in promoting and protecting human rights in the Asia Pacific region. AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION SOURCE: ANNUAL MEMBER SURVEY 2015 1. Contributing at the international level The contribution made by NHRIs to the Human Rights Council has been repeatedly welcomed by Member States and described as “increasingly important”. Along with this acknowledgement, States have encouraged NHRIs in their efforts to seek participation rights in other UN processes. The APF promotes recognition and participation of NHRIs with various UN and international mechanisms in different ways. With some, such as the Conference of State Parties on Disability, we keep a watching brief and take up opportunities to advocate on behalf of our members as they arise. With other bodies, such as the ICC, we contribute substantially to regular meetings and events, including the ICC’s 28th Annual Meeting, held in Geneva in March 2015, and the biannual meetings of the ICC’s Sub-Committee on Accreditation. While NHRI participation has been welcomed and facilitated in some General Assembly processes, such as the Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing, such participation has generally been ad hoc. In 2013, the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to focus his upcoming report on NHRIs on the current practice of NHRI participation at the UN and the feasibility of extending those rights. This report will be discussed at the 70th session of the General Assembly in September 2015. NHRIs that are accredited as “A status” have comprehensive participation rights within the UN Human Rights Council and its mechanisms. This includes having designated seating; the right to submit written statements and to make oral statements; and the opportunity to organise side events. During the past year, the APF has contributed to the substance of this discussion in relation to the recognition and participation of NHRIs and their coordinating committees at the General Assembly and ECOSOC by contributing to a third-party submission and ICC survey. The results of this engagement will be assessed after September 2015. The APF played a leading role in advocating for NHRI participation when the rules and procedures for the Human Rights Council were established. The participation rights of NHRIs were further enhanced in 2011. Figure 5: Value to members of APF engagement with UN and international mechanisms International Coordinating Commission of National Human Rights Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights 3 UN Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing 3 UN Human Rights Council and its mechanisms 3 1 3 Conference of State Parties on Disability 3 1 3 4 2 very high 15 2 4 high 6 medium 7 4 low very low 4 5 5 5 General Assembly Source: APF Member Survey 2015 26 4 3 8 5 4 2 4 8 5 no response 2 6 1