The conference featured panel discussions, interactive working sessions, and insights shared by guest speakers from the European Union (EU), UN, and NGOs. At the conclusion, participating NHRIs, including the APF, adopted the Kyiv-Copenhagen Declaration, outlining the practical actions that NHRIs commit to in their efforts related to promotion, prevention, and protection work on torture and other ill-treatment. NHRI side event at Pacific Leaders Meeting The 52nd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, held in November 2023, commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the 2050 Strategy for a Blue Pacific Continent. We co-hosted a side event alongside OHCHR, the Office of the Ombudsman of Cook Islands, and SPC, with participants discussing the role of national accountability mechanisms, particularly NHRIs, in promoting people-centred development, gender equality, and children’s rights in Pacific Island countries and territories. The event also marked the 75th anniversary of the UDHR and focused on generating momentum for establishing the Cook Islands Ombudsman’s Office as an independent NHRI. It also aimed to mobilise support for action pledges from prominent panellists, including Samoa’s Prime Minister, Hon. Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa, Cook Islands MP Hon. Akaitiiti O Te Rangi Puna, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands’ Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Jack Ading. The pledges focused on strengthening NHRIs, advancing gender equality, and implementing the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. NHRIs across the globe adopt plan to prevent torture and other ill-treatment. Adopted at the 14th International Conference of NHRIs, the Kyiv-Copenhagen Declaration aims to strengthen the collective efforts of NHRIs globally in preventing and addressing torture and other ill-treatment. NHRIs around the world pledged to adopt a victim-centred approach to torture prevention, acknowledging the experiences of victims and survivors and seeking responsive redress to their needs. The declaration also underscores the commitment to uphold the rights of individuals in situations of vulnerability, recognising the heightened risks they face. Expressing grave concern over the ongoing practice of torture worldwide, the Kyiv-Copenhagen Declaration emphasises the impact on access to justice, the effective administration of justice, the rule of law, and civic space. Through the Declaration, GANHRI, its regional networks, and all NHRIs expressed a joint commitment to collaboration, mutual capacity building, and knowledge sharing, to build a world free from torture and ill-treatment. Participants at the 14th International Conference of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI). 28 APF Annual Report 2023-24