Four officers from the Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) recently completed staff placements with the National Human Rights Commissions of India and New Zealand.

The placements are part of the APF's larger capacity building role for its member institutions, which has included staff placements, staff exchanges and study visits for Commissioners and staff from a number of national human rights institutions across the region.

Between 5 and 15 May, Ms Yulia Pasha and Mr Ono Haryono from Komnas HAM visited the New Zealand Human Rights Commission (NZHRC) where they gained a first-hand look at the way the Dispute Resolutions Team receives, handles and resolves complaints of discrimination from the public.

The program included meetings with the New Zealand Health and Disability Commission and Office of the Ombudsman. A meeting was also arranged with a New Zealand-based Indonesian human rights NGO to help foster links between KOMNAS HAM and Indonesian organisations overseas.

As part of the program, Ms Pasha and Mr Haryono also gave a presentation to NZHRC staff about the roles and functions of Komnas HAM and how their placement experience might be applied in their own work.

“Placements like these provide opportunities to support capability-building in the region for all elements of human rights, including mediation,” said Mr Haryono.

Ms Pasha said the program demonstrated the practical ways in which national human rights institutions can share ideas and learn from each other.

“I hope that the APF and the NZHRC can continue their good coordination and arrange for this exact programme to be delivered to other Komnas HAM mediation staff to learn in the same ways,” she said.

Another two Komnas HAM staff members, Mr Firdiansyah and Ms. Endang Sri Melani, were placed with the Investigations Division of the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) between 28 April and 12 May.

The program shared the NHRC’s long-standing expertise in handling large volume of complaints, as well as highlighting other aspects of the organisation’s work.

As part of the two week program, the NHRC organised a visit to the Punjab State Human Rights Commission to observe the complaints processes in operation at the State level. Meetings were also organised with representatives from the Supreme Court of India and the National Commission for Minorities.

The APF wishes to thank the New Zealand and Indian Human Rights Commissions for hosting the placements. In particular, Dr Terry O'Neill, June Crane, Susan Freeman-Greene and other members of the NZ HRC's Dispute Resolutions Team, as well as Shri Y.S.R. Murthy, Shri B.S. Nagar, Shri A.K. Parashar and the Investigations team of NHRC India.

The APF also thanks Ms Joey Nunik Widianti from Komnas Ham for her assistance in coordinating the project.