KEY ACHIEVEMENTS FOR 2015–16 General Assembly calls for NHRIs to have expanded role While NHRIs have had independent participation rights at the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council in Geneva for many years, a ground-breaking resolution on NHRIs by the General Assembly in December 2015 has significantly strengthened the case for NHRI participation in major New York-based UN bodies. The General Assembly resolution was led by Germany and co-sponsored by 90 governments, including 14 from the Asia Pacific region. The APF played a key role in the campaign for this resolution, including coordinating advocacy with governments, NHRIs and civil society. UN body for women and girls opens space for NHRIs Building on the momentum from the General Assembly resolution, the APF continued its long-standing campaign for the independent participation of NHRIs in the work of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). In an historic decision, the Agreed Conclusions issued at the end of the CSW’s 60th Session in March 2016 included a standalone paragraph to encourage the CSW Secretariat to consider how it could enhance the participation of NHRIs, including at the next CSW session in 2017. Our hope is that NHRIs will soon be able to contribute their insight and expertise to global policy-making on the rights of women and girls. Building collegiality through good communication Good communication is vital to build understanding and foster collegiality between APF members. During the year, members of the newly-established APF Communications Network helped prepare stories and ‘good practice’ case studies for the APF website and across various social media channels. Our vibrant network of communications professionals met in Kathmandu in April 2016 to deepen their collaboration and develop new skills in areas such as digital storytelling. In 2016, we also began work on building an Arabic language version of the APF website to improve access to information for our members, governments and civil society groups in West Asia. Innovative project documents progress to prevent torture Over the past 18 months, nine senior representatives from seven APF members have implemented strategic projects to counter the risk of torture and ill-treatment in their countries. Supported by mentors from the APF and the Association for the Prevention, each project has made a tangible difference to benefit people deprived of their liberty. The outcomes of these projects were recorded in the Torture Prevention Ambassadors Good Practice Report, launched in Geneva in June 2016. The group also delivered an oral statement to the 32nd Session of the UN Human Rights Council, highlighting the vital contribution of NHRIs in the fight against torture and ill-treatment. Funding for the Torture Prevention Ambassadors project was provided by the European Union. Equipping our members to protect those at risk of violence and discrimination A number of tragic events this past year have graphically demonstrated that violence against members of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) communities continues to be a daily reality across all parts of the world. In June 2016, the APF published a world-first manual for NHRIs on their role to promote and protect human rights in relation to sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics. Part of an ongoing program of activities with UNDP, our manual sets out many practical ways that NHRIs can work to build community understanding and counter the discrimination and violence that LGBTI people commonly experience. 6