The National Human Rights Commission has decided to recommend the draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the APF and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Secretariat to the Government of India for its consideration and approval. The MoU is primarily aimed at supporting the establishment and strengthening of independent NHRIs in SAARC countries as well as to ensure that gender considerations are incorporated into all activities, with a view to promoting gender equality in the SAARC region. The NHRC is of the view that this MoU will be useful. The Asia Pacific Forum (APF) had sent the draft MoU to the NHRC, India with the request to provide its inputs to the Government of India for approval. This draft MoU has to be approved by all SAARC Member States.
The issue of MoU between APF and SAARC was also discussed during the 18th APF Annual General Meeting and Biennial Conference at Doha on the 2nd October, 2013. The Director, APF had explained in detail about the need for the MoU and desired that the NHRC, India take a leading role in seeing through the culmination of this MoU into a reality keeping in view the need to strengthen the NHRIs in the SAARC region. Justice Shri K.G. Balakrishnan, Chairperson, NHRC was also of the view that the strong NHRIs in the region was the need of the hour.