The Chief Secretary of Koshi Province Government, Rajendra Kumar Paudel, has stated that the provincial government is positive toward the memorandum submitted by the human rights defenders’ network formed by INSEC.
Receiving the memorandum on June 12 at the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers in Biratnagar, which included issues such as the formulation of laws on caste-based discrimination and the rights of persons with disabilities, Chief Secretary Paudel said that the provincial government is sensitive and positive toward human rights issues.
He further stated that since INSEC is synonymous with Nepal’s human rights movement, the suggestions provided through the memorandum for the promotion and advancement of human rights by the province would be given priority in the provincial government’s policies and programs.
The memorandum submitted to the Koshi Province Government has called for the effective implementation of human rights-related provisions embedded within the province’s Second Periodic Plan (2024–2029), particularly those situated within the social sector. It emphasizes issues directly linked to human rights such as population and migration, education, health and nutrition, drinking water and sanitation, gender equality and empowerment, and the rights of children, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities, urging the government to ensure the realization of fundamental rights through concrete implementation measures.
Similarly, the memorandum urges the provincial government to prioritize the implementation of human rights commitments reflected in the Province’s Annual Policy and Programme for 2025/26. These include provisions related to women, children, senior citizens, Dalit communities, marginalized and minority groups, economically disadvantaged populations, and persons with disabilities. It also calls for strengthening the implementation of the slogan “My Health, My Responsibility” by ensuring the availability of specialist services in all health institutions and developing an effective mechanism to expand outreach programs, such as search and vaccination campaigns, to targeted children.
The memorandum further highlights Nepal’s commitments under the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), urging the provincial government to address persistent human rights concerns. These include ending constitutional and legal discrimination related to citizenship, eliminating child marriage and harmful practices against women and girls, eradicating caste-based discrimination, ensuring protection for victims of trafficking, safeguarding the rights of persons with disabilities, and recognizing the rights of gender and sexual minorities, particularly the legal recognition of intersex marriage. It also calls for an end to violence against women and progress on transitional justice issues. In addition, it stresses the urgent need for the passage of the proposed “Dalit Rights Promotion Bill, 2079.”
During the submission of the memorandum, Human Rights Defenders Network Coordinator Devi Banskota urged the provincial government to formulate laws and policies ensuring the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities. Similarly, INSEC Koshi Province Coordinator Manohar Kumar Pokharel called on the Chief Secretary to resolve the landless (squatter) issue in Koshi Province in a rights-based manner consistent with constitutional guarantees.
The memorandum handover event was attended by members of the Human Rights Defenders Network, along with INSEC Koshi Province Office Documentation Officer Punya Adhikari and INSEC Morang representatives.