7th APF Annual Meeting, 2002

Delegates to the 7th Annual Meeting of the APF were welcomed with a traditional 'lighting of the lamp', with the meeting officially opened by the Hon. Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Prime Minister of India.

The theme for the meeting, which was hosted by the National Human Rights Commission of India, was "The Role of National Human Rights Institutions in the Prevention of the Trafficking of Women and Children".

A highlight of the meeting was the second meeting of the Advisory Council of Jurists (ACJ) to consider the Forum Council's reference on the issue of trafficking of women and children.

In keeping with the meeting's main theme, APF members and members of the ACJ were taken on field visits to two New Delhi based organisations, providing them with a greater understanding of the issues facing victims of trafficking.

The 7th Annual Meeting also considered the role of national human rights institutions in the development of a proposed international convention on the rights of people with disabilities.

Outcomes of the 7th Annual Meeting included:

Membership

• National Human Rights Commission of Malaysia admitted as full member.
• National Human Rights Commission of Korea admitted as full member.
• National Human Rights Commissions of Thailand admitted as full member.
• The Forum Council considered establishing the category of 'Associate Membership' of the APF and agreed on two guiding criteria: that the institution possess a broad mandate, and the desirability of admitting only one institution per member state of the United Nations.

Advisory Council of Jurists

• The ACJ's interim report on trafficking was provided to the Forum Council.
• The Forum Council discussed follow-up activity taken by APF member institutions with regards to the ACJ reports on the death penalty and the regulation of child pornography on the internet.
• The Forum Council agreed to the development of a reference on the rule of law and anti-terrorism legislation.

Management

• The National Human Rights Commission of India was elected Chairperson of the Forum Council. The National Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka and the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal were elected to the two positions of Deputy Chairpersons.

8th Annual Meeting

• The Forum Council accepted the offer of the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal to host the 8th Annual Meeting.