APF membership set to grow

Applications to join the APF from the national human rights institutions of Bahrain and Iraq will be considered by Forum Councillors next month at the 21st APF Annual Meeting.

Both the National Institution for Human Rights of Bahrain (established in 2014) and the Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights (established in 2008) have been accredited by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions as "B status".

"A status" NHRIs in the Asia Pacific region are eligible for full membership of the APF, while "B status" NHRIs are eligible for associate membership of the APF.

The 21st APF Annual Meeting, to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 26-27 October 2016, will bring together all 22 APF member institutions, along with representatives from the NHRIs of Bahrain, Fiji, Iraq and Pakistan.

APF members will provide a short overview of their current activities and priorities, as well as hold an open dialogue with regional NGO representatives on issues of shared concern.

The two-day meeting will also discuss:

• An APF report on the death penalty in the Asia Pacific that members can draw on when advocating with their governments to move towards a de facto moratorium or abolition of the death penalty
• Strategies to build on recent developments that have opened the path for the independent participation of NHRIs in the work of the UN General Assembly and other New-York based UN bodies, including the Commission on the Status of Women
• A proposal to refresh the APF's governance structure to better meet the needs of our growing membership.

Date: 15 September 2016