Province One level interaction among civil society organization’s representatives, human rights defenders, and stakeholders has been conducted on the draft of the Nepal Government’s report of Universal Periodic Review (Third Cycle) on September 4, 2020, via a virtual medium.
Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Minister and the Secretariat of the Non-Government Organization Coalition for UPR, Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC), have conducted partnership to facilitate this interaction which included almost 70 participants from diverse categories of CSOs, HRDs and stakeholders.
The Government of Nepal is required to submit a UPR report to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights every four years. Nepal’s report is being reviewed in January 2021. Civil Society Organizations and NHRIs have submitted their reports and the Government of Nepal is preparing to submit the report by October 12, 2020. This consultation is considered as a platform to make the government report more reliable and informed with the CSOs and stakeholders.
Out of the 195 recommendations made by the UN Human Rights Council in the reports submitted by the Government of Nepal in 2015, the Government of Nepal has accepted 152 recommendation and 43 recommendations were noted.
Koshal Chandra Subedi, Joint-Secretary to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, informed about the aims and objectives of the National Report for the Universal Periodic Review (Third Cycle) in a program organized by INSEC, the Secretariat of the NGO Coalition for UPR, and the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
The draft of the report was presented by Shraddha Rijal, Under-Secretary to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
Under-secretary Rijal started her presentation by presenting the status of implementation of the recommendations made in UPR Cycle II made by the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Regarding the preliminary report prepared by the Government of Nepal, human rights activist Kosh Raj Neupane said that it was necessary to include the status of its implementation despite the enactment of the law and the inability of the Government of Nepal to formulate regulations for its implementation.
Activist Prakash Adhikari suggested the Government of Nepal submit a report on the real situation of human rights in the country. He suggested that the Government of Nepal submit a report in accordance with international treaties and conventions for the protection, promotion and fulfilment of human rights.
In the virtual meeting, INSEC’s Executive Director Bijay Raj Gautam said that the human rights situation in Nepal could be improved if the government submits the report after analyzing and incorporating the facts, data included in the civil society report and opinions shared during this consultation.
Addressing the suggestions received at the interaction program, Koshal Chandra Subedi, Joint-Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, said that the Government of Nepal is always ready to make laws, formulate rules and provide justice to the victims of conflict and submit a report to the OHCHR.
Speaking at the interaction program, INSEC’s Chairperson Dr Indira Shrestha said that the role of civil society is important in human rights protection and promotion. She further said that the government should prepare these types of reports by ensuring reliable information and valid data. Dr Shrestha added, Nepali CSOs compliment in government’s initiation for human rights protection, promotion and fulfilment.
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a United Nations’ human rights mechanism established in March 2006 and implemented since 2008, the mechanism regularly and cyclically reviews the status of implementation of human rights obligations and commitments by all the member states of United Nations over a period of four and a half years.