National Inquiries
National inquiries are one of the most effective strategies available to national human rights institutions for investigating and drawing attention to pressing human rights issues.
They provide a powerful tool for investigating systemic discrimination and human rights violations, as well educating the broader community about the issues.
Inquiry recommendations seek to help governments uphold obligations under international human rights standards and create positive change.
The APF is currently working with the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (RWI) to present a series of sub-regional training workshops for APF member institutions on running effective national inquiries.
The workshops provide NHRI representatives with a step-by-step understanding of the process of establishing and conducting a national inquiry. They explore a range of practical issues, such as:
- selecting the inquiry subject
- setting the terms of reference
- appointing the Inquiry team
- collecting evidence
- engaging the media
- planning follow-up activities to promote inquiry findings and advocate for recommendations.
The APF has produced a training DVD - Going Public - which draws on the experiences of national human rights commissions across the Asia Pacific and the lessons learnt from holding public inquiries into a broad spectrum of issues.
Workshop for South East Asia NHRIs, June 2008
This sub-regional training program – held in Jakarta and hosted by the National Human Rights Commission of Indonesia – included participants from the human rights commissions of Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Timor Leste.
Pilot workshop, October 2007
The pilot sub-regional training workshop was hosted by the National Human Rights Commission of India from 29 October -2 November 2007. It included representatives from the national human rights institutions of Afghanistan, India, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Observers from the Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights and the Pakistani Parliamentarians Committee for Human Rights also participated.
