Seventh Annual Meeting of the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions
The Seventh Annual Meeting of the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions was held in New Delhi, India from 11 13 November 2002. It was inaugurated on 11 November 2002 by the Prime Minister of India, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Justice Shri J.S. Verma, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission of India welcomed the Prime Minister, the participants and the observers of the meeting. Speaking of the challenge to human rights in the world today, he said, Evil acts of terrorism and the threat of terrorism have vitiated the atmosphere and made the promotion and protection of human rights more difficult and complex. He added, however, The defence of human rights itself demands that the battle against terrorism be fought and won, for the right to life -- which terrorists hold in contempt is the most basic of all rights, without which human beings can exercise no other right. Yet this battle must be won while upholding the banner of the Rule of Law.
The Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee in his inaugural speech said, The single greatest enemy of human rights today is terrorism fuelled by religious extremism. He added, We could move closer to the ideal if our commitment to human rights is genuine -- not a mere rhetoric and if governments and civil societies work together to create a new culture of respect for human rights worldwide. The Prime Minister, in his speech, recognized human rights as a vital constituent of the rule of law and an essential element of good governance. He emphasized the importance of the role of national human rights institutions in protecting and promoting human rights.
Mr. Brian Burdekin, Special Advisor to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, also spoke on the occasion. He appreciated the work being done by the National Human Rights Commission of India and said that the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights would extend its support to every effort to uphold human rights and dignity in the Asia Pacific Region.
The full texts of the speeches of the Prime Minister and Justice J.S. Verma are available on www.nhrc.nic.in.
Participants from the member institutions of the Asia Pacific Forum (APF) Australia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Philippines and Sri Lanka and the newly joined institutions -- Malaysia, Republic of Korea and Thailand attended the three-day meeting from 11 13 November 2002. Representatives, as observers, from the governments of Australia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Thailand the Timor-Leste, the institutions from Afghanistan, Iran, New Zealand and Palestine, and international, regional and national non-governmental organizations also participated in the meeting.
The National Human Rights Commission of India, as the current host institution of the Annual Meeting, was unanimously elected to the position of the Chairperson of the Forum. The National Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, as the host institution for the last annual meeting, and the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal, as the host institution for the next annual meeting, were also elected unanimously to the two positions of Deputy Chairpersons. The national human rights institutions from Australia, Fiji, Nepal and the Philippines were elected to be the four regional representatives to the International Coordinating Committee of national human rights institutions.
In the course of the meeting, the Forum decided to respond positively to an invitation of the United Nations Ad-hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities that national institutions participate independently in the development of the new International Convention on the Right of People with Disabilities. It also considered the issue of trafficking in depth, hearing, in the course of its proceedings, the views of international experts and non-governmental organizations and the report of its Advisory Council of Jurists. The Forum welcomed the agreement of the National Human Rights Commissions of India and Nepal to work together on this issue.
The National Human Rights Commission of Nepal will be hosting the Eighth Annual Meeting of the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions in 2003 with the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission as a potential alternate host, if necessary. The Forum also noted the offer of the National Human Rights Commissions of Mongolia and Korea to host the Ninth Annual Meeting in 2004.
Justice Shri J.S. Verma, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission of India welcomed the Prime Minister, the participants and the observers of the meeting. Speaking of the challenge to human rights in the world today, he said, Evil acts of terrorism and the threat of terrorism have vitiated the atmosphere and made the promotion and protection of human rights more difficult and complex. He added, however, The defence of human rights itself demands that the battle against terrorism be fought and won, for the right to life -- which terrorists hold in contempt is the most basic of all rights, without which human beings can exercise no other right. Yet this battle must be won while upholding the banner of the Rule of Law.
The Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee in his inaugural speech said, The single greatest enemy of human rights today is terrorism fuelled by religious extremism. He added, We could move closer to the ideal if our commitment to human rights is genuine -- not a mere rhetoric and if governments and civil societies work together to create a new culture of respect for human rights worldwide. The Prime Minister, in his speech, recognized human rights as a vital constituent of the rule of law and an essential element of good governance. He emphasized the importance of the role of national human rights institutions in protecting and promoting human rights.
Mr. Brian Burdekin, Special Advisor to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, also spoke on the occasion. He appreciated the work being done by the National Human Rights Commission of India and said that the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights would extend its support to every effort to uphold human rights and dignity in the Asia Pacific Region.
The full texts of the speeches of the Prime Minister and Justice J.S. Verma are available on www.nhrc.nic.in.
Participants from the member institutions of the Asia Pacific Forum (APF) Australia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Philippines and Sri Lanka and the newly joined institutions -- Malaysia, Republic of Korea and Thailand attended the three-day meeting from 11 13 November 2002. Representatives, as observers, from the governments of Australia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Thailand the Timor-Leste, the institutions from Afghanistan, Iran, New Zealand and Palestine, and international, regional and national non-governmental organizations also participated in the meeting.
The National Human Rights Commission of India, as the current host institution of the Annual Meeting, was unanimously elected to the position of the Chairperson of the Forum. The National Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, as the host institution for the last annual meeting, and the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal, as the host institution for the next annual meeting, were also elected unanimously to the two positions of Deputy Chairpersons. The national human rights institutions from Australia, Fiji, Nepal and the Philippines were elected to be the four regional representatives to the International Coordinating Committee of national human rights institutions.
In the course of the meeting, the Forum decided to respond positively to an invitation of the United Nations Ad-hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities that national institutions participate independently in the development of the new International Convention on the Right of People with Disabilities. It also considered the issue of trafficking in depth, hearing, in the course of its proceedings, the views of international experts and non-governmental organizations and the report of its Advisory Council of Jurists. The Forum welcomed the agreement of the National Human Rights Commissions of India and Nepal to work together on this issue.
The National Human Rights Commission of Nepal will be hosting the Eighth Annual Meeting of the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions in 2003 with the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission as a potential alternate host, if necessary. The Forum also noted the offer of the National Human Rights Commissions of Mongolia and Korea to host the Ninth Annual Meeting in 2004.