Delivering capacity development programs

Supporting our members

We offer a broad range of capacity development programs to strengthen the capabilities of our members. Our programs are specifically designed to support our member NHRIs in fulfilling their core functions, including monitoring human rights issues, investigating complaints, advising governments, reviewing laws and policies, and conducting human rights education.

Our programs help build the essential skills and knowledge needed for NHRIs to safeguard human rights, with a strong focus on working with vulnerable and marginalised groups.

We also offer a range of targeted programs for NHRIs on topics such as advancing human rights in humanitarian action, addressing the the human rights impacts of climate change, protecting human rights in the Pacific, and engaging with inter-governmental mechanisms in the region.

We ensure gender-related issues are considered in the design, delivery and content of every APF capacity development program.


Our staff continue to increase their capacity year by year as a result of APF training and capacity development.”

Office of the Ombudsman, Samoa


Our Approach

Our capacity development programs are delivered in the APF Community, our online platform for learning, collaboration and resources.

We use expert facilitators, with long-standing experience working within NHRIs, to lead the programs. We also draw on the expertise of facilitators drawn from APF members.

All of our courses are regularly evaluated to ensure that they meet the needs of our members.

We also invite our members to provide information about their training needs on an annual basis, which we use to guide the ongoing development and delivery of our capacity development program.

Our courses include:

  • Foundations of NHRIs and the Paris Principles
  • Torture prevention
  • Gender equality for NHRIs
  • Facilitating an NHRI Gender Audit
  • Promoting and protecting the rights of women and girls
  • Human rights in relation to sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics
  • Human rights education
  • Complaints handling and investigation
  • Engaging with the international human rights system
  • Conducting national inquiries
  • Communicating human rights
  • Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL)
  • Human Rights Community-led Development (HRCLD) for NHRIs
  • Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) - the role of NHRIs as protectors and promoters of HRDs

Related resources

Advancing human rights in our region