Capacity Assessment Manual for National Human Rights Institutions Acknowledgements This manual flows from a partnership between the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions (APF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), through its Bangkok Regional Hub, its Regional Hub in Amman and its Istanbul Regional Hub, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for the Capacity Assessment of National Human Rights Institutions. The first edition of the manual was produced in 2011. The second edition was produced in 2014 by the APF following an external evaluation of the capacity assessment process in 2012 and further development of the process as recommended by the evaluation. It reflects the capacity assessment methodology as at August 2014. This third edition has been prepared under APF’s review of all manuals to mainstream gender considerations. It also reflects the Global Principles for the Capacity Assessment of National Human Rights Institutions developed by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 2016. Staff and consultants of APF, UNDP and OHCHR have driven the capacity assessment project for national human rights institutions in Asia Pacific States stretching from the Pacific to West Asia. Their experience and work is reflected in this manual. Many of them produced or contributed to the original manual in 2011 and the revised manual in 2014 and have contributed again to this revision. Senior officers of national human rights institutions have also participated in the teams that have conducted capacity assessments. They too have contributed from their experiences in these teams. The capacity assessments have seen the insights, professionalism and commitment of the leaders and staff of the national human rights institutions. Their commitment to their work and to doing their work even better has helped make these assessments so successful. The evolution of this methodology to its current level of effectiveness is due to the contributions that they have made – by being open to experimentation; by reacting and commenting during their own assessments; by contributing to debates in workshops, training sessions and APF forums; and by generously sending staff to participate in capacity assessment teams. This revised manual has been produced by the APF. 3