"Human rights are inscribed in the hearts of people; they were there long before law-makers drafted their first proclamation. Human rights are not against anyone but for everyone. Human rights are a legitimate claim and a solemn responsibility. Human rights must be the basic empowerment of all people, not only a privileged few...J am convinced that by combining our action and determination, by building partnerships between governments and civil society, international organizations and the media, religious and academic communities, we will succeed in realizing the vision of the future which the Universal Declaration first called for half a century ago." — Mary Robinson, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

A culture of human rights is a must for full realisation of human potentials. It Is crucial for human survival too. But placing human rights at the top of discussion agenda is not enough. Human rights need institutional protection through legal or constitutional mecha-, nisms.

National human rights institutions (NHRI) have been evolving around the globe to cater this specific need." Australia. Indonesia. India. New Zealand. Philippines. Sri Lanka have already instituted their respective National Human Rights Commission. The Fijian Commission has just been established. The governments of Bangladesh, Camoo-dia. Mongolia. Nepal. Papua New Guinea, the Republic of Korea and Thailand have committed themselves to establishing a commission;

And in the last month mem-, bers of the Asia Pacific Forum of National HUman Rights institutions and non-governmental human rights organisations met in Kandy. Sri Lanka to evolve and streamline a strategy for - action to protect and preserve human rights for all for the next millennium. The 'Forum' organised this international workshop on 'National Institutions and Non-Govern-

mental Organisations: Working in Partnership' in a bid to further consolidate and encourage the development of national and regional partnerships between the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions (APF). national human rights institutions, regional and national human rights non-government organisations (NGOs) in the protection and promotion of human rights in the Asia Pacific region. In the presence of observers from United Nations agencies and international non-governmental organisations, participants across the Asia Pacific region discussed the issues of mutual Importance from 26 to 28 July 1999. The participants include former Judges, lawyers, human rights commission officials, human rights commissioner, 1 human rights activists and advocates.

The workshop took place in the context of increasing activity on the strengthening of human rights institutions and on the work of NGOs. This work has included the establishment of the Forum itself, the series of United Nations-sponsored workshops on regional arrangement in the Asia Pacific Region and a range of sub-sidiary meetings aimed at implementing agreed technical cooperation projects.

The workshop was one of the

projects identified by regional governments as part of their technical assistance under the auspices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. This truly reflects the importance of multi-party cooperation for the protection and promotion of human rights.

The workshop was developed and organised by the APF. the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) and the Asia Pacific Human Rights NonGovernment Organisations Facilitating Team (NGOFT)

A Brief Background of

NHRI

Traditional approaches to secure human rights through judicial enforcement are inadequate. This stark reality has successfully fueled to create a global trend of setting up specialised institutions. The purpose is simple — to make state and non-state entities aware of their responsibilities in the sphere of civil and political rights. National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is one of such institutions. A human rights commission is a state sponsored and state funded entity generally set up under an Act of Parliament or under the Constitution with broad objec-

tive of protecting and promoting human rights. In doing so. it generally performs a wide range of functions. There include dispute resolution through adjudication or mediation, human rights education, documentation and research, advising governments on human rights issues and human rights standard setting.

Human rights commissions are being set up in many parts of the world. While the powers of these institutions in different countries vary, there seems to be a 'core concept emerging. In many countries such commissions have not matched the expectations they generated when they were first set up. On the other hand, in some other countries, where the expectations were not so great, the commissions have brought some positive results.

No doubt, an effective National Human Rights Institution (NHRI), independent of government control, is a very useful mechanism in the promotion and protection of human rights in a country. The 1993 Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, adopted by consensus of 171 countries, also addresses NHRIs by urging governments to considerably increase the resources allocated

to the establishment and strengthening of NHRIs, and by encouraging the establishment and strengthening of NHRIs in according with the Paris Principles. The UN General Assembly has subsequently passed resolutions encouraging member states to establish or whare they already exist. to strengthen NHRIs.

Emergence of Asia Pacific Forum of

NHRIs

The Asia Pacific Forum of NHRIs ('Forum') is an organisation made up of the six NHRIs in the Asia Pacific region (India. Sri Lanka. Indonesia, Philippines. Australia and New Zealand). The Forum established in 1996, assists in establishing and developing NHRIs and provides opportunity for greater cooperation between the. NHRIs (through actions such as information exchanges, training and development for commission members and staff; and specialist regional seminars on common theme and needs). The Forum's activities are mainly undertaken by its secretariat which is currently based with the Australian NHRI and receives funding from New Zealand and Australian governments and the United Nations. The Forum emphasises the importance- of the Paris

Principles. Indeed, the Forum specifies: "Institutions can apply for membership of the Forum subject to meeting or committing themselves to meet the fundamental criteria.... (of) independence guaranteed by statute or constitution: autonomy from government, pluralism, including In membership: a broad mandate based on universal human rights standards, adequate powers of investigations (and) sufficient resources."

The Forum also permits NGOs and governments to observe and make some interventions in its annual meetings. The Asia Pacific Human Rights NGOs Facilitating Team ('FT) has been involved in the Forum since the forum began.

The Workshop anti the Agenda for Action

The workshop was divided into eleven working sessions in addition to formal opening and closing sessions. The working sessions include the following themes:

(1) National institutions and NGOs — an international regional and national context

(2) Structures and mechanism of cooperation

(3) Major operational issues - Education.

(4) Major operational issues - Investigations

(5) Major operational issues - National Inquiries

(6) Major operational issues - Relations with parliaments and recommendations for human rights legislation.

(7) Structures and mechanism of cooperation

(8) Cooperation with civil society during the establishment of a national institution.

(9) Future Action - drafting a working agenda.

(10) Future Action - Adoption of the Workshop Action Plan.

(11) Next steps - A road map for implementing the Action Plan at the national and regional levels.

The workshop had been organised in a cooperative manner, with full opportunity having been given for input by both national institutions and nongovernmental organisations.

The workshop is fruitful considering the successful adoption of a strategic planning (see below) at the threshold of a new millennium-. The only thing the workshop could not cover is assessing and auditing the performance of the existing NHRIs with a objective point of view. The Forum must involve such necessary assessment in their next programme.

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