NATIONAL ACTION 6: Report on violations against Human Rights Defenders • Conduct context-specific or national inquiries on violations against HRDs • Prepare special reports on the situation of violations against defenders • Include HRDs chapter in NHRI annual reports APF members commit to developing national reporting on violations against HRDs. ‘Reporting’ in the context of the Regional Action plan is understood broadly to encompass public reports of specific incidents and violations committed on a larger scale. Reports of NHRIs will be informed by evidence and other information collected during monitoring of violations and will contain analysis of data assessed against regional benchmarks. Reporting by APF members will continue to be responsive to violations where and when they happen. These reports will be standalone initiatives and also form part of the NHRIs’ core reporting mandate, featuring violations against HRDs in annual and other mandate reports published by the NHRI. Some APF members have reported on patterns of violations against HRDs using their investigation or inquiry mandate, as explained in the case study below. CASE STUDY Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines – National Inquiry The Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHR) received an increasing number of complaints concerning killings, disappearances, threats and other forms of harassment from human rights campaigners throughout the country. On the basis of the increasing volume of these complaints and indication of the systemic nature of the violations, the CHR decided in September 2019 to conduct a National Inquiry into the situation of HRDs. The Inquiry proceedings were conducted between 9 and 12 September 2019, establishing a public dialogue between HRD victims and the NHRI. These proceedings were open to the public and live streamed on the Commission’s YouTube channel. Government officials, members of the international community and other stakeholder groups were also invited to participate in the Inquiry proceedings. After the conclusion of proceedings, the CHR considered submissions made to the Inquiry and prepared a Report on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in the Philippines, which was released in July 2020. The Report outlined the key concerns raised by HRDs during the Inquiry proceedings and made a number of recommendations to the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary, as well as to civil society, to respond to the violations and enforce the rights of HRDs. The Report will feature prominently in the CHR’s domestic advocacy for law and policy reform, as well as its reporting to the international human rights system on the rights of HRDs. Part 3: National Actions | 29