Asia’s Human Rights Journey: ANNI Report 2023 maps progress and pitfalls across the region

The diverse audience immersed in the insights of the speeches delivered on ANNI report and HRCSL

• The Rapid Response Unit (RRU) will address urgent cases as well as direct complaints
• The ANNI members in the specific countries covered primarily determined the selection of NHRI for this report

Human rights play a vast role in an individual’s life. In today’s divisive world, human rights play a major role in offering justice. Several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) take part in implementing these human rights more efficiently. The National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) play a vital role in this endeavour. As human rights challenges evolve, solutions for these challenges become a vital matter to be in effect. Against this backdrop, the ANNI Report 2023, offers a critical lens into the achievements and shortcomings of NHRIs across thirteen territories in Asia.

 The ANNI Report 2023 is a report on the performance establishment of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) in Asia. ANNI published its first report in 2007 and continued to be published as an annual report till 2019.  Since 2021, the report has been following a biennial format. The ANNI report 2023 covers the period of 2021-2022 (2 years). Moreover, it covers the performance assessment of thirteen territories in Asia; Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan. It was explained that each chapter provides a national context on the performance of the respective NHRI. It was mentioned that ANNI members in the respective countries have drafted the chapter, based on their advocacy and research.

 The 2023 ANNI report depicts a new quantitative methodology (NHRI Scoring Index) utilized by the ANNI membership- in development since 2019. The scoring index uses indicators that assess the NHRIs’ compliance with the Paris Principles and includes 44 questions. The report was explained in chapters; Overview of the Human Rights situation, The NHRI’s Mandate to protect and promote Human Rights ending with the conclusions and recommendations.

The HRCSL receives funds from the treasury. In addition to such funds, financial support is received from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) through the EU-Funded JURE Project”
- Farah Haniffa, 
Commissioner of the HRCSL, 

The Commissioner of the HRCSL, Farah Haniffa
(Pictures By Pradeep Dilruckshana)

The Commissioner of the HRCSL, Farah Haniffa explained the overview of the HRCSL. The commission’s responsibility was highlighted in promoting and protecting human rights enshrined in the Sri Lankan Constitution and ensuring that the Sri Lankan State adheres to established International human rights standards and norms. “The HRCSL receives funds from the treasury. In addition to such funds, financial support is received from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) through the EU-Funded JURE Project,” explained Haniffa. Moreover, she said that the HRCSL has been organised into five key divisions Inquiries and investigations, Education and Special Programmes, Research and monitoring, International Affairs and Finance and Administration. The Rapid Response Unit (RRU) will address urgent cases as well as direct complaints; torture and arbitrary arrest and detentions, Custodial death and extra judiciary killings, Yukthiya operation, right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, memorialization, enforce disappearance. 

The ANNI members in the specific countries covered primarily determined the selection of NHRI for this report. The civil society organizations (CSOs) who authorised the chapters have been engaged with NHRI advocacy in their respective countries for several years. They bring a reliable perspective of their respective NHRIs performance and their contribution to protecting and promoting human rights. The report also brings forth pressing human rights issues and challenges in Asia. The performance of NHRIs covered in the report is assessed against and in response to the prevailing human rights issues.  

ANNI report 2023 - Sri Lankan Chapter 

 FORUM-ASIA, as the secretariat of ANNI, released the latest ANNI report on the performance of National Human Rights Institutions in Asia in 2023. With Law and Society and Trust (LST) authoring the Sri Lankan chapter conducted the performance assessment of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL). The 2023 ANNI report- Sri Lanka country chapter was launched in collaboration with FORUM ASIA, ANNI, NGOs and the LST, Sri Lanka.