Asia and the Pacific, to support the efforts of governments, academic institutions, NGOs, and
other players for the implementation of national programmes in line with the aims of the UN
Decade for Human Rights Education (1995-2004),
13.31 The seventh Asia-Pacific Workshop on Human Rights was held in New Delhi between
16-18 February 1999. It was wganised by the Ministry of External Affairs in consultation and
cooperation with the United Nations High Commlssioner for Human Rights, who visited Delhi
on fhat occasion and held most valuable discussions with t b Commission.
(H)
PUBLICATIONS ANDTHE MEDIA
13.32 The monthly Newsletters of the Commission continued to be a valuable source of
information on the Commission's work, programmes and concerns. It has also been providing
the gist of important decisions of the Commission in respect of individual complaints addressed
to it. The Newsletter continues to be widely appreciated by human rights activists, members
of the legal fraternity, administrators, representatives of NGOs, research scholars and students.
The Commission receives a regular flow of letters concerning the Newsletter, variously
expressing appreciation and making suggestions for its improvement.
13.33 The demand to be added to the Commission's mailing list is large and growing. The
number of addresses in the mailing list has now risen to 4,000 with more requests coming in.
The Newsletter is also much in demand at symposiums, seminars and workshops on human
rights, whether organized by the Commission itself or by others.
13.34 The Newsletter is now available on the Commission's web-page: 'www.nhrc.nic.in'.
This will help the Cornmisston to reach a much wider audieme.
13.35 The Commission has been maintaining its clipping information service in the form of a
computerised database. Newspaper clippings can thus be retrieved newspaper-wise, datawise and topic-wise. This service has provided a very useful source of information not only to
the Commission, but also to a number of research scholars, students and media-persons,
who have easy access to it.
13.36 The Commission would once again like to express its thanks to the media for the
increasing coverage of human rights issues. There has been constant interaction with the
Commission. Interviews with the Chairperson and Members on varied human rights issues
have appeared regularly on television channels. Further, there have been regular briefings of
the media, both through press-releases and on a one-to-one basis. Indeed, the media has
been a key ally of the Commission in promoting and protecting human rights. As in the past,
the Commission has frequently taken cognizance of human rights violations on the basis of
media reports.