TWENTY EIGHTH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE ASIA PACIFIC FORUM OF NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS 20-21 September 2023, New Delhi, India DELHI DECLARATION Introduction We, the members of the Asia Pacific Forum (APF) of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), of India, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Fiji, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Oman, Palestine, Philippines, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Samoa, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste, convened during the Twenty Eighth Annual General Meeting and Conference in New Delhi, India, held on 20-21 September, 2023: Recognize and celebrate 30th anniversary of the ‘Principles Relating to the Status of National Human Rights Institutions’ (the Paris Principles), adopted by General Assembly resolution 48/134 on 20 December 1993, as set of international standards and norms related to NHRIs; Recognize and celebrate the 25th anniversary of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by General Assembly resolution A/RES/53/144, and the important role that NHRIs play as both protectors of human rights defenders and as human rights defenders themselves; Recall and renew our commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), on the 75th anniversary of its adoption by the General Assembly in resolution 217 A (III) on 10 December 1948, as a common standard of human rights for all peoples and all nations; Note the emerging human rights issues and challenges especially in the area of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Artificial Intelligence, business, healthcare, climate change, natural and human-made disasters and offences taking place across borders; Reaffirm our commitment to the core values of the UDHR for upholding individual dignity, freedom, equality and justice across diverse cultures, languages, traditions and histories, based on the principles of justice and the rule of law, in both online as well as offline environments; Recognize the need for collective efforts in strengthening the human rights ecosystem, confronting the violation of human rights and achieving a more inclusive and equitable society; 1