3rd: Indonesia 1998

3rd Annual Meeting, Jakarta, Indonesia, 7-9 September 1998

The President of Indonesia, H E Mr B J Habibie opened the 3rd Annual Meeting of the APF. In his keynote address the President gave a clear commitment to the universality of human rights and rejected arguments that human rights were out of character with “Asian values”.

The special theme for the meeting, which was hosted by the Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights, was “Human Rights and the Economic Crisis in the Asia Pacific”.

The meeting also considered the current human rights issues in the region, discussed developments in those countries establishing a national human rights institution, and reviewed the activities and follow-up to the issues mandated by the APF Second Regional Workshop.

 The growth of the APF – both in its membership and work program – was reflected in the change of name from “Regional Workshop” to “Annual Meeting” and the decision to hold the annual meeting over three days, including a one-day closed session for APF member institutions.

As part of the 3rd Annual Meeting, the APF:

• agreed to establish an Advisory Council of Jurists, made up of eminent lawyers nominated by each APF member institution, to assist in developing regional human rights jurisprudence

• agreed to hold a workshop in 1998/99 on the theme of National Institutions and Non-Governmental Organisations: Working in Partnership

• launched the APF website and requested the Secretariat to assist APF members wishing to establish their own websites

• accepted the offer of the Philippines Commission on Human Rights Commission to host the 4th Annual Meeting in 1999.