extended by the United Nations to the national human rights institutions, and exercised the right to speak at the UNHRC for the first time since the establishment of the Commission. The Commission also strengthened cooperation with international organizations related to human rights by participating in many international events, such as the 56th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the 19th UNHRC, the Expert Group Meeting for Human Rights of the Elderly, the UNCERD, the 8th Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the 5th Forum on Minority Issues, the Forum on Business and Human Rights, and 11th International Conference of National Human Rights Institutions. The NHRCK successfully held the 12th Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights in June in which guidelines on information-related human rights were provided, and the International Conference to Protect and Promote Refugee Rights in August to attract attention to refugee issues and their rights and the improvement of the treatment of refugee applicants. Chapter 3. Evaluation and Challenges In 2012, the NHRCK did its utmost to smoothly promote the 3rd phase of the Three-Year Plan for the Promotion of Human Rights and to take the first steps into the new decade in a meaningful way; however, it is true that some of its work could not be sufficiently carried out due to a number of different challenges, such as the confirmation hearing of the National Assembly on the chairperson which was conducted for the first time since the establishment of the NHRCK, political conditions including general elections and the presidential elections, various changes in the environment related to human rights at home and abroad, as well as the organization and the operation of its staff that have not settled in because of the aftermath of the downsizing and reorganization in 2009. 34 Part I. Introduction