The APF's Regional Action Plan on Human Rights Defenders was launched at a virtual event on 17 March 2021, featuring speakers from national human rights institutions, civil society organisations and the international human rights community.

More than 50 participants attended the virtual launch, which included a keynote address by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor.

Guest speakers included Shaharzad Akbar, Chairperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission and Shamini Darshni Kaliemuthu, Executive Director of the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA).

The event culminated in a panel discussion with Shanna Priangka Ramadhanti, National Human Rights Institutions Program Officer at FORUM-ASIA, Cynthia Veliko, Regional Representative of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and Atty. Jasmin Regino, Director, Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines.

The APF was represented by Kieren Fitzpatrick, APF Director, and Phillip Wardle, APF Legal and Policy Manager.

The Regional Action Plan on Human Rights Defenders, available in four languages - Arabic, Chinese, English and Russian - is the culmination of six months of research, consultation and collaboration with a broad range of human rights stakeholders across the Asia Pacific.

The Action Plan sets out the regional and national actions that the APF and its member institutions will carry out over the next four years to improve the rights of human rights defenders (HRDs) in the Asia Pacific.