The 11th Annual Asia Pacific Forum (APF) of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) took place in Suva, Fiji from 31 July - 3 August 2006. APWLD was among over 20 NGOs present at the APF, including many APWLD members and partners: Forum Asia, AMIHAN, WOREC, Fiji Women's Rights Movement, Women's Action for Change and Fiji Women's Crisis Centre.

Since there is no regional mechanism for the protection and promotion of human rights, the APF serves as the only regional forum for monitoring, promoting and protecting human rights in Asia Pacific. The APF is a body that supports, through regional cooperation, the establishment and development of national institutions to protect and promote human rights. NHRIs are institutions established by the state (or sometimes established by the Constitution) to monitor its own compliance with its HR obligations and promote and protect human rights within the country. The actual level of independence which NHRIs enjoy will depend on a number of factors including membership and the manner in which they operate. APWLD joined with other NGOs present at the APF in drafting and endorsing a joint statement on the role and effectiveness of National Human Rights Institutions and NGO engagement with NHRIs and the APF. The statement noted with concern the lack of independence of some NHRIs and the non transparent and non participatory appointment process of commissioners due to Executive interference - as currently evident in Sri Lanka and Malaysia and in Nepal in 2005. The statement also called upon NHRIs to take necessary measures to secure their independence; stressed the need for Human Rights Institutions to work in greater collaboration with NGOs and civil society at a national as well as regional/APF level ensuring sustained equal participation of all human rights defenders, including women human rights defenders at all levels; and recommended various modes for cooperation at the national, regional and international level.

Where NHRIs do fulfil their mandate to protect and promote human rights violations and speak out against states violations of human rights, they too can face threats and risks to their safety under the current trend of increasing attacks against human rights defenders in the region. For example, Mr Vasant Panich, a Thai Commissioner, recently faced the threat of kidnapping for his work in investigating the disappearance of a Thai human rights lawyer Somchai. NGOs, thus, play an important role in both standing in solidarity with NHRIs against all human rights violations, as well as demanding greater results from NHRIs.

In the current climate of increasing political repression and attacks against human rights defenders by both state and non-state actors, the specific focus given by this year's APF meeting on 'human rights defenders' (HRDs) was timely and important. The meeting gave space for NGOs to present reports on HRDs in the region and make recommendations to the APF for measures to ensure their greater protection in Asia Pacific. APWLD and Forum Asia delivered a joint statement on HRDs in Asia during a special session given to NGO reports. The statement highlighted the specific risks and vulnerabilities faced by women human rights defenders (WHRD) across Asia (as well as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and intersect defenders) who face greater and different risks than their male defenders because of their gender or sexuality and the fact they work against social stereotypes and thereby challenge social structures, vested economic interests, traditional practices and interpretations of religion precepts. The statement highlighted that WHRDs are also targeted by religious groups, tribal elders, community members, family members and even the human rights community itself who uphold these patriarchal institutions. Defenders working on issues related to economic, social and cultural rights also face increasing challenges and risks at the hands of states as well as business enterprises, trans-national corporations and international financial institutions. The statement highlighted the need for specific recognition and protection mechanisms for WHRDs in light of the fact women activists are particularly vulnerable to prejudices, social ostracism and public repudiation from both state and non-state actors and the use of sexual and sexuality-based attacks. Further, the risks and vulnerabilities which women human rights defenders face, take genderspecific forms ranging from verbal abuse directed exclusively at them because of their gender, to sexual harassment and rape. The statement made recommendations for NHRIs to play a proactive role in protecting and supporting the work of human rights defenders in close partnership and consultation with civil society and NGOs. We recommended the establishment of some specific mechanisms for the protection and promotion of WHRDs rights at national, regional and international levels including: the creation of a special help desk within NHRI for HRDs with the skills and knowledge to respond to the specific needs of WHRDs; fast track mechanisms for protection to intervene with relevant state authorities in cases where HRDs are at risk; investigation of all attacks against HRDs to end impunity for violations; establishing a permanent agenda item at APF meeting on HRDs and a focal point at the APF on HRDs to ensure continued collaboration, sharing of experiences and implementation of mechanisms for the protection of HRDs; and issuing of a reference on HRDs to the Advisory Council of Jurists which APWLD, Forum Asia and International Service for Human Rights jointly drafted and submitted to the APF. A number of APWLD members from Fiji and Pacific made joint statements on HRDs in the Pacific which also strongly highlighted the situation of WHRDs.

Due to these coordinated efforts, the message went across very strongly to the APF members of the need for them to create better HRDs protection mechanisms. As a result, in the APF concluding statement the APF has decided in its paragraph 26:

"The Forum Council affirmed the complementary roles of national institutions and non-governmental organisations as defenders of human rights and as human rights defenders themselves. It recognised the particular responsibilities of national institutions towards human rights defenders and visa versa. It requested the secretariat to explore how the members of the Forum can protect and promote the rights of human rights defenders more effectively at regional and national levels."

This decision gives space for further intervention by NGOs to ensure NHRIs perform a better job in supporting the work of HRDs. Like other human rights fora activists and civil society play an important role in pushing NHRIs beyond their comfort zones, beyond narrow public conceptions of what they can and can not do, and demanding greater results from them. The APF meeting provides for a forum for doing this.

In follow up to the APF meeting, APWLD joined other regional and international NGOs who attended the APF meeting to discuss possible follow-up as well as mechanism for coordination among NGOs for the next year APF meeting which is to be held in Sydney. It was decided that a NGOs convening group should be created to facilitate NGO participation and APWLD was requested to join this group. We would welcome input and suggestions from members who engage with NHRIs at a national, regional and international level in their work into this process. For further information, please, contact lisa@apwld.org

Training Seminar for Human Rights Defenders, Suva, Fiji, 31 July and 4-5 August 2006

In conjunction with the International Service for Human Rights, Forum Asia, Fiji Human Rights Commission, and the Fiji Women's Crisis Centre, APWLD jointly organised a training seminar parallel to the 11th Annual Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions in Suva, Fiji on 31 July and 4-5 August 2006. The training seminar aimed to promote practical knowledge about international and national mechanisms for the protection of human rights defenders in the Asia Pacific region and to explore the role that national human rights institutions can play as protection mechanisms for human rights defenders. The training also aimed to encourage regional discussion regarding human rights defenders and discuss collaboration between national human rights institutions and NGOs to identify areas of cooperation and specific steps to improve the protection of defenders in the region. Approximately 35 NGO representatives attended the training seminar, including APWLD members Tess Vistro from AMIHAN (Philippines), Virisila Buadromo from Fiji Women's Rights Movement (Fiji) and partners Renu Rajbahandari from WOREC (Nepal) and Noelene Nabulivou from Women's Action for Change (Fiji). On the first day, the international training seminar focused on assessing the issues and risks facing human rights defenders and women human rights defenders in the Asia Pacific region. Lisa Pusey, APWLD's Programme Officer, presented on WHRDs highlighting the specific risks and vulnerabilities WHRDs face in Asia region because of who they are (their gender) and what they do (the issues they are working on which challenge social, religious and traditional practices and norms) as well as some of the current trends facing WHRDs in Asia today. Imrana Jalal from RRRT spoke on the risks and threats facing HRDs in the Pacific. The program also covered the legal frameworks as well as the international and regional mechanisms available for the protection of human rights defenders. The seminar on the 31st July also created the space for the NGOs to discuss the thematic issues that were on the agenda of the APF and prepare NGO interventions to the APF meeting. On the second and third day, the training focused on the UN reforms and how to use the international human rights procedures in our everyday work.
Further information can be obtained on the website www.apwld.org or by contacting lisa@apwld.org