A Year of Human Rights Covenants: Great Leap for Taiwan National Human Rights Commission, Taiwan V. International Exchange and Cooperation A national human rights institution shall…cooperate with the United Nations and any other organization in the United Nations system, the regional institutions and the national institutions of other countries that are competent in the areas of the protection and promotion of human rights. “Competence and Responsibilities,” Paris Principles ▋ High-level dialogue of the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions. a. B u i l d i n g p l a t f o r m s f o r h u m a n r i g h t s development and exchange: 2021 International Conference on Human Rights Development and 2022 Human Rights Thematic Forum The 2021 International Conference on Human Rights Development in November 2021 focused on topics such as ethnic equality and development, gender and human rights, human rights protection during the pandemic, systemic national inquiries, and human rights education. Vice-President Chen Chien-jen of the Republic of China was invited to give a keynote speech on “COVID-19 Control and Human Rights Protection”. A total of 11 NHRI representatives and human rights scholars and experts from 9 countries were the keynote speakers joining the conference either onsite or online to investigate the development of important human rights issues today and plan the direction for future human rights development together with representatives from domestic government agencies, scholars, experts, and NGOs. The two-day conference was attended by over 450 participants. The 2022 Human Rights Thematic Forum held by the Commission in November 2022 invited human rights experts from the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions (APF), France, Japan, and Taiwan to exchange opinions and share experience in human rights issues, such as “National Human Rights Institution’s Cooperation with Government Agencies and Civil Society” and the “Equality and Non- Discrimination—Human Rights Protection for the Disadvantaged: Starting with the Human Rights of the Elderly.” A total of over 150 participants attended the forum, including representatives from the foreign representative offices in Taiwan, such as the American Institute in Taiwan, the British Office Taipei, the German Institute Taipei, the French Office in Taipei, the Australian Office in Taipei, and the Israel Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei. b. The Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions (APF) As an important platform for human rights exchange among NHRIs in Asia, the APF is a highly influential regional human rights organization within the global human rights network with members of up to 25 countries so far. It aims at assisting Asian-Pacific countries National Human Rights Commission 2022 Annual Report 67