A/HRC/7/69 page 26 Annex II TWELFTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASIA PACIFIC FORUM OF NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS 24th to 27th September 2007, Sydney, Australia APF CONFERENCE Concluding statement Introduction 1. The Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions (the Forum), consisting of the national human rights institutions (NHRIs) of Australia, Afghanistan, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, the Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Palestine, Philippines, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste, held this Twelfth Annual Meeting in Sydney, Australia from 24th to 27th September 2007. 2. The Forum conveyed their respect and special thanks to the elders of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, the traditional owners of Sydney, who offered a warm welcome to their land to all participants. 3. The Hon Philip Ruddock MP, Attorney General of Australia and Mr John von Doussa QC, President of the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission spoke at the opening ceremony. The speakers stressed the important roles of NHRIs and the Forum in the promotion and protection of human rights in the region. 4. The Forum Councillors expressed their gratitude to the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission 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 Forum’s donors for their financial support. The Forum Councillors expressed their appreciation for the efforts of the President, Commissioners and staff of the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission and the secretariat of the Forum for their work in the organisation of the meeting. 5. The Forum Councillors particularly welcomed the participation of the Advisory Council of Jurists and thanked them for their important work. They also welcomed, as observers, the representatives of the OHCHR, the Chairperson of the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions (ICC), a representative from the Iranian Islamic Human Rights Commission, twenty five international, regional and national non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the representatives of the parliaments and/or governments of Australia, the Maldives and Philippines.