Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions A herder woman milks her yaks in Must, Mongolia. UN Photo by Eskinder Debebe. According to the Commission, many herders in mining areas have been forced to leave their traditional lands and find alternative means to support themselves. It expressed concern about the impact of these changes on the human rights of herders, in particular, their right to live in a healthy and safe environment, their property rights and the right to preserve one’s culture and traditions. In addition, it noted that conflict between mining companies and artisanal miners, civil society organisations and local people has been escalating in recent times, occasionally resulting in violence. The conference discussed these and other matters – such as the rights of workers in the mining industry and public participation in decision-making for mining activities – and heard how similar issues have been addressed in other countries. It drew on the experiences and perspectives of a broad range of stakeholder groups, including mining operators, the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, the Philippines Commission on Human Rights and the APF secretariat, as well as research and analysis by independent experts. A key focus for the Commission was to use the information shared at the conference to develop recommendations to strengthen the national legal framework, including identifying international treaties which Mongolia should ratify. In addition to attending the conference, the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights spent 12 days in Mongolia as part of its first official country visit. Palestine and NHRIs in situations of conflict and/or transition The APF assisted the Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights to organise a roundtable meeting on the role of NHRIs in situations of conflict and/or transition. The roundtable was attended by the Geneva representative of the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions (ICC), and nine other representatives of four NHRIs from Northern Ireland, Scotland, Thailand and Ecuador, a representative of OHCHR in the occupied Palestinian Territory, and representatives of official Palestinian institutions, diplomatic missions, civil society organisations and the media. Two field trips were undertaken preceding the roundtable in East Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley area. The keynote speaker at the opening session was Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, who welcomed the visiting delegations to Palestine, and emphasised in his speech the government’s commitment to human rights and the rule of law in Palestine and the role of the Commission. 22 | 1. Enhance members’ institutional capacity to promote and protect human rights