This manual is a joint publication developed by the Institute and the Asia Pacific Forum (APF), and it serves as a complement to the training courses on national inquiries that the Institute and APF are organising for NHRIs in Asia.
A National Inquiry is an inquiry into a systemic human rights problem in which the general public is invited to participate. The inquiry is an important strategy utilised by National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) to promote and protect human rights. In particular, National Inquiries enable a large number of complaints to be dealt with in a proactive and cost-effective way, while providing an opportunity for the public to be informed about the work of a NHRI and the issues covered within the scope of the inquiry. The technique of conducting a national inquiry was first pioneered by Prof Brian Burdekin when he was Federal Human Rights Commissioner of the Australian Human Rights Commission.
The manual provides a step-by-step description of how to undertake a national inquiry and presents case studies of national inquiries undertaken by NHRIs in the Asia Pacific.