Building stronger National human rights institutions 3 13 From conducting inquiries and investigating complaints through to running outreach programs and advising government on laws and policies, the work of NHRIs is all about building fair, just and inclusive communities. very high high medium low very low no response The APF provides a broad range of services to support our members in their work to promote and defend human rights, especially on behalf of those most vulnerable to violations. ANNUAL MEMBER SURVEY 2017: VALUE TO MEMBERS OF BUILDING STRONGER NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS During 2016–17, the APF hosted High Level Dialogues with the leadership teams of the: • Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (9-10 November 2016) • Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (8-11 February 2017) Depending on its founding legislation, a new leadership team will be appointed to an NHRI every three to five years. The High Level Dialogues provide an opportunity for newly-appointed Commission members to agree on the human rights priorities for their NHRI and how they will drive change. During the year, the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines specifically requested a High Level Dialogue to reflect on how it could best respond to the surge in extra-judicial killings during the government’s “war on drugs” and the threats it has faced for carrying out its investigations. Between March and April 2017, the National Human Rights Institution of Bahrain conducted a capacity assessment, in partnership with the APF, UNDP and OHCHR. Capacity assessments enable our members to identify the practical and strategic steps they can take to strengthen their institutions. WHAT WE ACHIEVED IN 2016–17 • Helped build new country-level partnerships to counter the violence, discrimination and prejudice that LGBTI people in the region face. • Contributed to a measurable growth in the capacity of APF members, in collective terms, over the two-year period from 2015. • Provided 276 representatives from 23 APF members with new skills in promoting and protecting human rights. It is demanding work, which the APF supports through a broad range of professional development training programs and resources. In 2016–17, we conducted 18 training activities benefitting APF members, with some APF members involved in up to nine training courses. A combined total of 276 NHRI staff (59% female, 41% male) took part in our training programs. The APF also supported the National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh by reviewing progress and challenges in implementing recommendations following its capacity assessment in 2014. The courses covered a diverse range of topics including, among others, the human rights of women and girls, LGBTI people, workers in the garment sector, people with disabilities, human rights and climate change, and monitoring economic, social and cultural rights. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING AND RESOURCES In addition to APF members, representatives from five additional NHRIs in the region took part in our training programs: Pakistan, Fiji, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Staff and Commissioners of NHRIs work on the frontline of human rights. They inspect places of detention. They investigate allegations of abuse. They monitor issues and places of concern. They train law enforcement officials. 12 8 ASIA PACIFIC FORUM OF NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/USER/ASIAPACIFICFORUM