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Working together to protect and promote human rights in the Asia Pacific

Our Members

The APF is a network of 26 National Human Rights Institutions from across the Asia Pacific region.

Select a country to learn more

Our WorkAbout us

The depiction and use of boundaries, geographic names and related data shown on the APF member map are not warranted to be error free nor do they necessarily imply official endorsement or acceptance by the APF.

APF members

The APF was established in 1996 with five members. Today, our membership includes 28 National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) from all corners of the Asia Pacific.

Within the rich social and cultural diversity of the APF network, our members work together to address some of the most complex human rights challenges in our region.

We offer a comprehensive program of services to support our members in their work to promote and protect human rights.

Our services

About NHRIs

NHRIs uphold the rights and dignity of those who are marginalised or forgotten

National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) are independent bodies established by governments to protect and promote human rights within their respective countries. They serve as a bridge between the government and civil society, advocating for the protection of human rights, investigating rights violations, and promoting awareness and education.

Unlike other parts of the world, there is no regional protection system in the Asia Pacific that people can turn to when their rights are violated. This makes the role of NHRIs in our region even more critical.

Strong, credible and effective NHRIs help bridge the ‘protection gap’ between the rights of individuals and the responsibilities of the State by:

  • Monitoring the human rights situation in the country and making their findings available to the public

  • Providing advice to government so that laws and policies reflect national and international human rights standards

  • Receiving, investigating and resolving complaints so that victims of human rights violations can seek redress

  • Delivering human rights education programs that help change attitudes and behaviour

  • Engaging with the international human rights community to raise pressing issues and advocate for recommendations that make a difference back home

NHRI Fact Sheets

  • What are National Human Rights Institutions?

    NHRIs are independent bodies, established by law or in the constitution, to promote and protect human rights in their respective countries.

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  • What do the Paris Principles say?

    The Paris Principles are the international minimum standards for effective, credible NHRIs.

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  • The importance of independence

    The Paris Principles require that NHRIs have independence in law, membership, operations, policy and control over their resources.

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  • Providing advice

    NHRIs provide advice to support the effective promotion and protection of human rights.

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  • Human rights education

    Human rights education is directed towards three interconnected outcomes: increasing knowledge; to change values, beliefs and attitudes; to inspire action.

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  • Monitoring human rights

    Monitoring seeks to deter and prevent human rights violations by keeping the State’s performance under scrutiny.

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  • Complaint handling

    NHRIs are able to deal with complaints of human rights violation in a manner similar to, but different from, the courts.

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  • Intervening in court proceedings

    Many NHRIs are able to seek to intervene in court proceedings as a ‘friend of the court’ in cases that involve significant human rights issues.

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  • Cooperating at the national level

    NHRIs are required to cooperate and engage with all key stakeholders – governmental and non-governmental – that can influence the human rights situation in the country.

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  • Engaging with the international human rights system

    NHRIs engage with the international human rights system to draw attention to pressing issues and make recommendations to improve human rights at the national level.

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"National Human Rights Institutions play a frontline role in the protection of human rights at the national level."

Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Membership

Building stronger National Human Rights Institutions

The APF currently has 17 full members and eight associate members. To be admitted as a full member, an NHRI must fully comply with the international standards set out in the Paris Principles. NHRIs that partially comply with the Paris Principles are granted associate membership.

We use the accreditation decisions of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) to determine APF membership status. Full membership of the APF is equivalent to the GANHRI accreditation of "A-status" and associate membership is equivalent to the GANHRI accreditation of "B-status".

Get in touch to learn about how to become an APF member.

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Advancing human rights in our region