The meeting of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) held in Geneva from September 25 to 29, 2023, reached a decision to sustain the ‘A’ category status for the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal.
The sub-committee meeting decided to maintain the category of the Commission of Nepal in the ‘A’ category.
Dr. Tikaram Pokhrel, the Joint Secretary and Spokesperson of the National Human Rights Commission, disclosed that Cynthia Radart, the Secretary of GANHRI, informed the Chairperson of the Commission, Tap Bahadur Magar, of the Commission’s ‘A’ category recognition via email on November 1, 2023.
The decision to maintain the ‘A’ category was influenced by significant progress in the legislative process related to the National Human Rights Commission and the Commission’s enhanced performance and overall satisfaction, as stated by Spokesperson Pokharel.
It’s worth noting that the sub-committee of GANHRI had previously recommended downgrading the Commission to ‘B’ category due to the controversy regarding the appointment of officials of the Commission and the complaints of various human rights organizations and human rights activists in Nepal. However, during a meeting on September 21, 2023, in Kathmandu, involving representatives from 25 civil organizations, including INSEC, the sub-committee of the International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Organizations (GANHRI) decided on seven points that recommended to downgrade the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal to ‘B’ category only on the basis of the appointment process of the officials of the National Human Rights Commission which was not appropriate.
According to Lily Thapa, a Member of the Commission, the decision to maintain the Commission in the ‘A’ category is because of the answers provided by the Commission with evidence regarding their actions since their appointment, the recommendations presented to the government, and their active involvement in the legislative process.
Thapa informed INSEC that the Human Rights Commission Act continues to align with the Paris Principles. The Commission has not been downgraded, as it is actively working on amending the National Human Rights Commission Act to address the recommendations of the sub-committee of the Human Rights Commission.
GANARI comprises 120 member countries, with 88 of them designated in the ‘A’ category and 32 countries categorized under ‘B’.The National Human Rights Commission of Nepal has been continuously in the ‘A’ category for 23 years.