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 works with the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (RWI) to present its 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.

In-house training for Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, March 2011

Week-long program to support the Commissioners and staff of SUHAKAM to discuss and plan the organisation's National Inquiry on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Workshop for West Asia NHRIs, April 2010

Held in Amman and hosted by the Jordan National Centre for Human Rights; included participants from the human rights commissions of Afghanistan, Jordan, Palestine and Qatar. Observers from the national human rights instititution of Bahrain also participated.

Workshop for the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, December 2009

Three-day workshop provided the Commissioners and staff of SUHAKAM with a detailed understanding of the process of conducting a national inquiry, and shared 'best practice' examples from national human rights institutions in different parts of the world.

Workshop for South East Asia NHRIs, June 2008

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 for APF members, October 2007

Hosted by the National Human Rights Commission of India; included participants 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.