As part of its leadership services, the APF met with the Chairperson, Commissioners, and senior staff of the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHR) to discuss the institution’s current priorities and potential areas of APF support.

Held on 11 August, the virtual meeting was facilitated by Pip Dargan, Principal Adviser, APF Leadership Services. Ms Dargan congratulated the new Commissioners on their appointments and commended the CHR on its recent re-accreditation as an A-Status institution with the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI).

As a founding member of the APF, the CHR has made significant contributions to the APF network, particularly in terms of leadership on the role of NHRIs in protecting human rights in relation to climate change.

During the meeting, the CHR Chairperson, Richard Palpal-Latoc, shared the Commission’s latest initiative to address the human rights impacts of climate change, which include developing an inter-NHRI framework on the issue and forming a Climate Change Working Group with NHRIs across the region and globally.

Further details on this project will be shared at the APF’s Annual General Meeting and Biennial Conference, to be held in New Delhi, India in September 2023. The APF looks forward to working with the CHR and other APF member NHRIs on this important issue.