Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions Training-of-trainers The APF piloted a new blended learning course to expand the number of skilled human right trainers who lead capacity building programs for NHRIs and other groups across the Asia Pacific. The pilot course provided representatives from member institutions with essential knowledge and skills around the planning, design, delivery and evaluation of human rights training courses. It was developed following the training needs assessment of APF members which noted the ‘need for a larger number of highly skilled human rights trainers in the Asia Pacific region’ and recommended that the APF ‘explore ways of contributing to the building of regional human rights training capacity’. The training-of-trainers course included an online learning component, running from 2–29 April 2012 that addressed four key themes: • assessing the needs of adult learners • developing training materials for adult learners • face-to-face workshop facilitation skills, and • evaluating human rights training courses. The online modules included set readings, video lectures, quizzes, assignments and online discussions that invited participants to consider how they would approach developing and delivering a training program on the international human rights system. The online learning component was then complemented by a week-long regional workshop from 18– 22 June 2012, in Manila, Philippines, hosted by the Philippines NHRI. The workshop provided an opportunity for participants to explore issues in greater detail, share experiences and participate in practical activities, including role plays, group presentations, individual presentations and peer review sessions. Participants who run, evaluate and report back on a human rights training session that they deliver within three months of returning to their respective NHRIs will be accredited as APF Master Trainers and be provided with opportunities to assist in the delivery of future APF training programs. Mongolia OPCAT dialogue With the Mongolian Government committed to ratifying OPCAT, the APF joined forces with key partners to hold a series of events for government, civil society and the NHRI of Mongolia to explore what this might look like ‘on the ground’. States ratifying OPCAT are required to establish an independent national body, known as a national preventive mechanism (NPM) that can conduct regular, unannounced inspections of all places of detention. In addition, States are obliged to allow an international body of experts, the United Nations Subcommittee for the Prevention of Torture, to conduct inspections of any places of detention in the country. In April 2011, the NHRI of Mongolia, Amnesty International Mongolia, the APT and the APF organised a one-day national meeting of stakeholders to discuss the preferred model for a Mongolian NPM. One option discussed at that meeting was appointing the Mongolian NHRI as the central coordinating mechanism of a multi-stakeholder NPM, possibly involving civil society. This year, from 23–25 April 2012, a series of activities was organised by the same four organisations to continue the momentum towards ratification of OPCAT and the designation of an NPM. The Armenian representative on the Prevention of Torture Subcommittee, Mr Arman Danielyan, and Mr Ulugbek Azimov, a national expert on NPMs from OHCHR’s Central Asia regional office, led the substantive discussions during three events which included: 14 | 1. Enhance members’ institutional capacity to promote and protect human rights