A/HRC/10/54 page 23 Annex I CONCLUDING STATEMENT OF THE THIRTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASIA-PACIFIC FORUM OF NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS 28 to 31 July 2008, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Introduction 1. The Asia-Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions (the APF), consisting of the national human rights institutions (NHRIs) of Malaysia, Afghanistan, Australia, India, Indonesia, Jordan, the Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Palestine, Philippines, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste, held this Thirteenth Annual Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 28th to 31st July 2008. 2. Dato Seri Azalina binti Othman Said, Minister of Tourism read the keynote speech of Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Rt. Hon Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia who was unable to attend. Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman, Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. The speakers stressed the important role of NHRIs and the APF in the promotion and protection of human rights throughout the Asia-Pacific region and, in particular, in the development of a regional human rights mechanism for the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. 3. The Forum Councillors expressed their gratitude to the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia for hosting the meeting, to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for its co-sponsorship and to all the APF’s donors for their financial support. The Forum Councillors expressed their appreciation for the efforts of the Chairperson, Commissioners and staff of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia and the APF secretariat for their work in the organization of the meeting. 4. The Forum Councillors welcomed the participation and statements by the representative of the OHCHR, Mr Gianni Magazzeni, and the Chairperson of the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions (ICC), Ms Jennifer Lynch QC. 5. The Forum Councillors encouraged and welcomed the participation and statements of approximately sixty international, regional and national non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the representatives of the parliaments and/or governments of Australia, Bahrain, Brunei, Malaysia, Maldives, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Samoa, and Thailand and the intergovernmental organizations of the Commonwealth and the Pacific Islands Forum.