The Members of the Working Group Murari Prasad Kharel Secretary General, National Human Rights Commission of Nepal Murari Prasad Kharel has served the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for 23 years and has been its Secretary in Nepal since 2024. He began his NHRC career in 2002, gaining expertise in human rights protection and promotion. With a decade of managerial experience, he previously led the NHRC office in Nepalgunj, an area most affected by the armed conflict. Mr Kharel earned a Master’s in Geology (M.Sc.) in 1997 and lectured at the Department of Geology at TU for four years. In 2003, he completed a Master’s in Social Science from TU’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology. He has also completed courses like the Chevening Peace and Conflict Resolution Scholarship and the IHRTP in Canada. Mr. Kharel has facilitated over 200 trainings and workshops for NHRC and others. He has been key in designing training materials for human rights defenders, journalists, teachers, security, and government officials. He has presented papers on transitional justice, mediation, human rights education, federalism, and UN human rights mechanisms. Mr Kharel has also contributed to NHRC policy developments, including human rights procedures, monitoring during COVID-19, and issues related to migrant workers in Malaysia. Furthermore, he played a significant role in drafting the Comprehensive Peace Accord in 2006 and continues to advocate for human rights through media campaigns and monitoring violations. Dr Mohammed Saif A. A. Al-Kuwari Vice Chairman, National Human Rights Committee of Qatar Dr. Al-Kuwari is the Vice-Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee. In 2021, he joined the advisory group for the third national development strategy (2023-2030). He was appointed to the Global Carbon Council’s Advisory Board and the Alliance of Civil Society Organisations for the Green Middle East Initiative. Recognised as one of 30 human rights defenders by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, he was named “A Defender for a Right.” In 2023, he joined the Asia Pacific Forum’s HRDs Working Group and was named one of 100 sustainability champions by the International Federation for Social Responsibility in the Arab world and North Africa. Dr. Al-Kuwari has authored 23 books on human rights, sustainable development, and environmental issues and published over 39 research papers in these fields. He has spoken at more than 64 venues, covering technical lectures and public awareness seminars. An earth and climate sciences researcher, he specialises in the right to a healthy environment. He has visited over 70 institutions and government entities to assess human rights conditions and prepare detailed reports. He also developed Qatar’s national plan for human rights promotion and protection. His contributions have earned him recognition from national and regional institutions in engineering and environmental sciences. APF Human Rights Defenders Working Group: Annual Report 2024-25 11