A "Joint High-Level Dialogue" has been held between the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) and the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM). Organized by the Asia Pacific Forum (APF), these meetings took place in Malaysia from July 27 to 29, 2026. Commissioners and Secretaries-General from both HRCM and SUHAKAM participated in the meetings. This dialogue was conducted as part of the APF Leadership Support Program and was facilitated by APF Executive Director Thuy Doan-Smith and Expert Consultant Professor Deepika Udagama.

In addition to the High-Level Dialogue, HRCM visited the headquarters of SUHAKAM. During this visit, information regarding SUHAKAM's administrative structure, operational areas, and governance policies was presented. The visit provided vital insights into SUHAKAM’s operations and served as an opportunity to share notable experiences and best practices between the two institutions.

Throughout the program, discussions were held regarding the Paris Principles and the mandate of human rights commissions, stakeholder engagement, collaboration with international organizations working to protect and promote human rights, institutional governance, leadership, and capacity building. Furthermore, the discussions highlighted significant human rights issues at the national level, national-level initiatives to identify systemic human rights challenges, strengthening relations with media and civil society organizations, and the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) accreditation process.

During the visit, commemorative plaques and gifts were exchanged to mark the close relations and cooperation among HRCM, SUHAKAM, and APF. The discussions concluded by reflecting on the deliberations and renewing the commitment of HRCM, SUHAKAM, and APF to strengthen their respective human rights commissions and further enhance efforts to promote and protect human rights at the regional level.