Introducing the Intergovernmental Mechanisms Project

Collaboration between NHRIs and regional inter-governmental mechanisms (IGMs)

Many of the pressing human rights issues in our region today cross national borders. They include the impacts of climate change and environmental damage, public health emergencies, the rights of migrant workers, human trafficking and the human rights impacts of business operations.

Unlike Africa, the Americas and Europe, the Asia Pacific does not have a region-wide inter-governmental system — such as treaties, courts, a commission or other institutions — to protect and promote human rights.

This makes it even more important to encourage strong and strategic engagement between all institutions with a responsibility to develop policies or take action on human rights issues.

The APF is bringing together two powerful agents for change in the Asia Pacific: national human rights institutions (NHRIs) and regional inter-governmental mechanisms.

By establishing regular platforms for dialogue, NHRIs and inter-governmental mechanisms will have opportunities to share their expertise and develop strategies that improve people’s lives and build strong, resilient communities.

See the United Nations Secretariat homepage for more information on geographic regions.

Where We Work | United Nations (unsecretariat.net)

Building partnerships for human rights

In bringing together representatives from NHRIs and inter-governmental mechanisms for a series of facilitated roundtable discussions, we aim to:

  • Build recognition of the unique and complementary roles of NHRIs and inter-governmental mechanisms to promote and protect human rights
  • Develop a shared understanding of the means to address region-wide human rights issues
  • Identify opportunities for collaboration between NHRIs and inter-governmental mechanisms on human rights issues of shared concern
  • Generate positive sentiment about the value of collaboration and a commitment to ongoing dialogue in support of future joint initiatives.

Priority focus: Environmental rights and climate change

One of the most urgent issues facing communities in South-East Asia and the Pacific is to promote environmental rights and respond to the human rights impacts of climate change.

Our project will establish a foundation for engagement and collaboration on environmental rights and climate change, with the ultimate goal of empowering communities to respond to the human rights challenges they face.

Through a series of strategic national activities, selected NHRIs will conduct research and engage with communities and other key stakeholders. They will share their analysis with their inter-governmental mechanism and discuss policy and planning measures that best respond to the issues they identify. This will form the basis for a joint outcomes paper.

Project activities

Activities for our multi-year project will commence in February 2022. 

In collaboration with participating NHRIs and inter-governmental mechanisms, we will:

  • Design and implement blended learning courses for NHRIs in South-East Asia and the Pacific on environmental rights and climate change
  • Establish online communities of practice for NHRIs in South-East Asia and the Pacific to discuss effective approaches for engaging with their inter-governmental mechanism
  • Support roundtable dialogues in South-East Asia and the Pacific for NHRIs and inter-governmental mechanisms, with a focus on environmental rights and climate change
  • Establish a small grants program for selected NHRIs to support national research and stakeholder consultations on environmental rights and climate change
  • Support NHRIs and inter-governmental mechanisms to develop a joint outcomes paper on human rights and climate change
  • Support NHRIs to establish focal points for engaging with their inter-governmental mechanism.

Our goal is to lay the foundation for an ongoing, formalised relationship between NHRIs and inter-governmental mechanisms to address human rights issues in the Asia Pacific.

How did we do?

IGM Project - Baseline Assessment

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