Nepal: UN welcomes top official's pledges on concrete action to end impunity

Nepal's Prime Minister has pledged to take concrete steps to address serious violations, especially ending impunity, a move welcomed by the United Nations human rights office in the South Asian nation (OHCHR-Nepal).

Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal gave the assurances yesterday at his residence in the capital, Kathmandu, during a meeting with Richard Bennett, Representative of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal, and Jyoti Sanghera, Deputy Representative.

A range of rights issues were discussed ahead of the General Assembly's annual high-level debate later this month, which Mr. Nepal will attend.

During the talks, he asked OHCHR to draw his attention to particularly egregious cases of human right abuses, while Mr. Bennett welcomed his recent announcement to a campaign to eliminate gender-based violence and his intention to bolster the law and human rights division within the Government.

Mr. Bennett also raised the importance of setting of a Commission of Inquiry on Disappearances and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, as well as recommending the early ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which has already been approved by the Nepalese cabinet.

A letter sent by OHCHR to the Prime Minister this July underscored the need to follow up on issues highlighted in human rights reports, such as the investigation into arbitrary detention, torture and disappearances at Maharajgunj barracks in Kathmandu from 2003-2004.

“The cooperation of all parties, through the Legislature-Parliament, to move forward on key human rights commitments essential to the peace process is strongly encouraged by OHCHR-Nepal,” Mr. Bennett said.