Regional Action Plan on Human Rights Defenders REGIONAL ACTION 6: Develop regional data on Human Rights Defenders • Build regional framework of data on violations against HRDs • Ensure consistency and comparability of NHRI collected Data on HRDs Robust and relevant data on violations against HRDs is essential to enable all support for HRDs to be effectively targeted and responsive. Data from countries with NHRIs will also establish an important evidence base for policy development and advocacy work at the regional level. Gender disaggregation of this data will be important to understand the impact of violations against WHRDs. With improved information on national violations disaggregated across the region, NHRIs in the Asia Pacific will be able to review the incidence of attacks against defenders in their national context by reference to regional trends and the experience of other NHRIs. Comparable data across the region will also allow for regional support mechanisms, such as relocation and respite programs, to be targeted when and where they are needed the most. Developing effective data on violations on HRDs at a regional level will require national data sets collected by NHRIs to contain comparable information, using an agreed set of indicators and other metrics. Where data on violations against HRDs is collected by NHRIs, APF will work with its members to ensure it can support a broader data set on violations across the Asia Pacific. The APF and its member NHRIs will work collaboratively with other stakeholders – particularly CSOs – that gather data on violations against HRDs, building on existing data to develop complementary statistics and avoid duplicating other initiatives. This includes data collected for the purposes of reporting against SDG indicator 16.10.1 on violations against journalists, media personnel, trade unionists and human rights advocates. REGIONAL ACTION 7: Strengthen the capacity of NHRIs • Develop resources on protection and promotion of the rights of HRDs • Ensure HRDs feature in APF Capacity Assessments and Capacity Assessment Reviews • Enable members of the APF Community to access capacity development opportunities on HRD rights Supporting member capacity to more effectively deliver their mandates is one of the central objectives of the APF. The APF will work at a regional level to support its members to increase their knowledge of HRDs and implement the various national actions in this Action Plan. The APF is developing a foundation for this work with an online learning program on HRDs, with the support of the NHRI.EU Phase 2 Project. The APF will develop a package of resources that covers all aspects of this action plan, ensuring that its members are fully equipped and effectively supported to deliver on National Actions and participate in Regional Actions, where required. The APF will also ensure all resources on HRDs are made available to its members through the APF Community. The APF’s flagship capacity development activity has been its support for Capacity Assessments (CAs) and Capacity Assessment Reviews (CARs). These rigorous programs support APF members to undertake an internal review of their functional and operational capacity, identifying areas that should be prioritised for strengthening and improvement. The APF will ensure that HRD protection and promotion features prominently in its support to members through CAs and CARs, ensuring its methodology places HRDs on the agenda. 22