Leveraging existing regional forums Although the Asia-Pacific region lacks a formal preventive mechanism, there are existing regional forums and institutions that NPMs can engage with to advance their causes. • ASEAN Human Rights Mechanisms: While ASEAN’s human rights mechanisms, such as the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), have a limited mandate, NHRIs can engage with these bodies by providing input on issues related to detention and torture prevention. • Pacific Islands Forum (PIF): PIF is a key intergovernmental organisation that brings together leaders from the Pacific region to address shared challenges and promote regional cooperation. Although PIF’s primary focus is on political and economic issues, it also addresses human rights concerns through its broader agenda of promoting stability, security, and good governance. NHRIs in countries can consider engaging their respective governments in raising issues related to detention conditions and torture prevention, promoting regional human rights standards at PIF Forum Leaders. • The Pacific Community (SPC): SPC is another important regional organisation that serves 27 member countries and territories in the Pacific region. It provides technical and scientific advice, as well as policy and capacity development assistance, across a wide range of areas, including human rights. SPC’s Human Rights and Social Development (HRSD) Division is particularly relevant for NPMs. NPMs can engage with the HRSD to access research findings, data, and best practices that can inform their monitoring and reporting activities. Additionally, NPMs can contribute their own findings and data to SPC’s research efforts, ensuring that detention-related issues are wellrepresented in regional analyses. Networks of oversight bodies In addition to formal networks and forums, NPMs can enhance their effectiveness through informal cross-border collaborations with neighbouring countries. These collaborations can focus on specific issues or thematic areas that are common across borders. The APF NPM-NHRI 2024 Workshop in Bangkok, which has led to the inception of this toolkit, is a prime example of such an initiative. Through this, participants have been able to have access to discuss such opportunities: • Peer-to-peer learning between NPMs from different countries to learn from each other’s experiences, methodologies, and challenges. • Regional awareness raising of thematic issues, common challenges, and shared goals. • Networking with the APT to organise or participate in regional training sessions, workshops, and seminars focused on the role of NPMs, the prevention of torture, and the monitoring of detention conditions. • Regional campaigns to raise public awareness about the issues of torture and ill-treatment in detention settings, promoting the work of NPMs and advocating for stronger protections and accountability mechanisms. Going forward, NPM networks will be important sources of advice and expertise, whether it is through informal WhatsApp groups or Slack channels or more structured meetings and exchanges. International and regional networks have also been active in the past in relation to reprisals against their member institutions. APF for example has been quick to condemn attacks on the independence or funding of its member NHRIs, and members under threat of reprisals. As NPM-NHRIs, being a member of the APF benefits from the support that APF provides with members facing reprisals, and to highlight to governments the necessity for NHRIs to perform their duties with independence and impartiality, without interference. By raising their profile and working together, NPMs can use their NHRI status and networks to respond collectively to threats made against them, with the APF, while also bringing them to the attention of the media and other human rights mechanisms. 46 NPM Toolkit for Asia Pacific NPM-NHRIs