International Service for Human Rights

At the annual meetings of the Asia Pacific Forum, we co-organise a parallel NGO meeting that provides a forum for NGOs to discuss issues affecting defenders in the region and developments at the international and regional level. The NGO meeting also provides space for NGOs to coordinate their input and contribution to the APF meeting. ISHR advocates for the APF to become more proactive in the protection of human rights defenders and to ensure adequate space for NGO participation.

The 13th APF Annual Meeting was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 28 to 31 July 2008. NGOs delivered five statements during the meeting. The first was made by ISHR as international organisation (click here to access), the second one by FORUM ASIA as regional organisation (click here to access), and remaining three by national organisations focussing respectively on country-specific situations, thematic issues, and NGO-NHRI collaboration.

The APF has taken up several NGO recommendations, including ISHR's proposal to hold a dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders; to mainstream defenders' issues into the work of the Advisory Council of Jurists; to request member institutions to report on actions taken at the national level for the protection of defenders; and to strengthen follow up to the recommendations by the APF, the ACJ and international mechanisms including the United Nations (UN) treaty bodies, the special procedures and the Universal Periodic Review. To access the APF concluding statement and other related information, click here.

For further information on the Asia Pacific, please see the official Website.