SUPPORTING OUR MEMBERS TO DRIVE CHANGE ADVOCATING FOR INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES In 2018–19, the APF delivered a broad range of professional training and networking programs to support our members. Five NHRIs from the Asia Pacific have been supported to work with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) communities to identify and address some of the pressing issues they face. A series of national workshops were conducted this year, reflecting our strategy to provide targeted support for APF members. This included programs on: • Human rights investigations (Thailand) • Human rights of women and girls (Timor Leste) • Strategic planning (Afghanistan, Myanmar1 and Samoa) • Monitoring and evaluation (Samoa). In addition, we conducted workshops on monitoring economic, social and cultural rights (for NHRIs in South Asia, in partnership with CESR), human rights communication and education (for NHRIs and governments in the Pacific, in partnership with RRRT) and promoting human rights in humanitarian action (for selected APF members, in partnership with OHCHR). We also held meetings of the APF Senior Executive Officers Network and the APF Facilitators Network. In February 2019, the APF hosted a High Level Dialogue for incoming Commissioners of the New Zealand Human Rights Commission to discuss their priority areas for action, the strategic planning process and the tools available to the Commission to achieve their goals. Each NHRI developed a country-specific project, which built on their participation in an APF-UNDP program on human rights and sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics. The projects focused on: • Developing strategies to counter bullying of LGBTI school students (Timor Leste) • Reviewing progress on the right to health for Fa’afafine & Fa’afatama communities (Samoa) • Improving the Commission’s delivery of services for the LGBTI community (Philippines) • Advocating for legal gender recognition of transgender people (Bangladesh) • Developing a national plan of action to address human rights challenges identified by LGBTI communities (Fiji). The NHRIs received financial and mentoring assistance from the APF, as well as support and advice on data collection and research with LGTBI communities. A total of 258 people took part in 13 training, capacity building and networking programs, with a significant increase in the proportion of female participants (52% female, 48% male) from last year. All activities were rated very highly by participants. APF trainers and facilitators ensure that issues related to gender are considered at every stage of the design and delivery of these programs. WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/USER/ASIAPACIFICFORUM 1 The APF continues to provide strategic planning support to the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission, in partnership with UNDP. This is a follow-up activity to the capacity assessment we led in November 2018. ANNUAL REPORT 2018–19 11