A/HRC/15/39 unfortunately, there had not been any ratifications of that important protocol yet in the Asia-Pacific region. The Deputy High Commissioner then outlined some of the characteristics of credible and effective regional human rights mechanisms and offered the assistance of OHCHR in providing technical expertise in their creation and strengthening, including the sharing of information and lessons learned. III. Review of the four pillars of the Tehran Framework 5. The first day’s discussions consisted of statements by States and national human rights institutions, which updated participants on developments at the national level and emphasized their commitment to the goals of the workshop and of the Asia-Pacific Regional Framework process. Member States and NHRIs used the opportunity to make statements on their achievements, experiences and lessons learned under each of the four pillars under the Tehran framework; namely, human rights education, economic, social and cultural rights and the right to development, national human rights action plans and NHRIs. The civil society representative from the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Forum-Asia) made a statement on behalf of the organizations, which included 25 civil society organizations, 12 NHRIs and the Asia-Pacific Forum of NHRIs, that had participated in the civil society consultations the day before the official workshop began. 6. Several States highlighted the new opportunities presented by the universal periodic review, as well as challenges in implementing the recommendations coming out of that mechanism. Regarding the Tehran Framework of Regional Technical Cooperation Programme for Asia and the Pacific (Tehran Framework)2, Governments updated one another on the ratification of human rights treaties and their optional protocols as well as on developments with regard to NHRIs, human rights education and national human rights action plans. The challenges faced by Governments in fulfilling their reporting requirements of the various treaty bodies was mentioned, as well as the importance of capacity-building, and the need to focus more on economic, social and cultural rights in the light of the recent global financial crisis. OHCHR field presences were hailed as crucial partners to the Member States in the region on human rights. OHCHR was requested to continue its assistance to the Pacific region in terms of preparations for the universal periodic review process, and the database of universal periodic review recommendations from the Regional Office in Bangkok was welcomed. 7. The continued relevance of the four pillars of the Tehran Framework in developing some of the core national components and capacities needed at the country level was noted, as was the emergence of new regional human rights infrastructures, particularly with the development of mechanisms in the League of Arab States, OIC and ASEAN. The growing importance of new processes at the international level was emphasized, particularly the universal periodic review and the recent Human Rights Council mandated seminars which brought together the different regional mechanisms at the international level. Several participants noted the relationship between the universal periodic review and the four pillars, including refocusing attention on economic, social and cultural rights and the development of national human rights action plans. Many Member States noted the challenges that the global financial crisis posed to economic, social and cultural rights. 8. It was noted that effective and independent national human rights institutions had developed strongly under the Tehran Framework. Many Member States reported on their NHRIs, and several highlighted that they were exploring, or already had explored, the 2 4 See http://bangkok.ohchr.org/news/events/asia-pacific-regional-framework-workshop2010/files/introduction_key_documents_annual_meetings.pdf.