The National Human Rights Commission has stated that although some tasks mentioned in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement have been completed, the failure to deliver justice to conflict victims has curtailed their right to timely justice.
On the occasion of 19 years since the peace process began with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed between the Government of Nepal and the then CPN–Maoist on November 21, 2006, the Commission issued a press release on November 21, 2025, urging the government to conclude the peace process promptly.
According to the Commission, although the provision (Section 5.2.3) of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement required the government to make public, within 60 days of the signing, the status information of those disappeared or killed during the war and notify their families, this has not been made public even after nearly two decades.
The press release stated that although the Agreement had a provision (Section 5.2.5) to form, through mutual understanding, a high-level Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate serious human rights violations and crimes against humanity committed during the armed conflict and to create an environment for reconciliation in society, the law-making and commission formation process has been delayed, and although commissions have been formed three times, the issues of justice determination remain unresolved, which is a matter of concern.
The Commission has stated that since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, it has been monitoring its implementation and publishing reports periodically.
The Commission has been conducting investigations, decisions, and recommendations on conflict-era complaints registered with it. However, the press release mentioned that due to the failure to act on the perpetrators involved in human rights violations and to provide reparations to victims as per the Commission’s recommendations, conflict victims and their families have not been able to experience justice.
The Commission also recalled that, in light of recent political changes in Nepal brought about by the “Gen-Z protests and demonstrations,” it conducted field monitoring in various provinces to understand the situation of victims at the community level and to discuss the current status of their quest for justice with concerned stakeholders.
The press release stated that victims expressed doubts about the confidentiality of their complaints, felt additional suffering due to delays in justice, were not adequately consulted during the commission formation process, and that some had not received free medical treatment.
Similarly, the Commission has noted that the government and political parties have not been serious about the concerns of conflict victims, that there is fear their issues may be overshadowed following the Gen-Z movement, and that transitional justice-related commissions have not been able to reach victims at their doorsteps.
The press release also stated that some victims’ complaints were still left unregistered, the issue of conflict victims had been used for personal interest, some victims refrained from filing complaints due to fears about confidentiality in cases of sexual violence, victims were increasingly frustrated, most still lacked identity cards, and real victims had not been identified in some areas.
Victims also informed the Commission’s monitoring team about problems related to performing death rituals of the disappeared and transferring their property, lack of consensus on serious human rights violations, and failure to create an environment for relief, reparation, and reconciliation.
The press release issued by the Commission’s spokesperson and Joint Secretary Dr. Tika Ram Pokhrel stated that the government’s attention has been drawn once again to promptly address the grievances raised by victims, to implement previous recommendations on conflict-era complaints, and to conclude the transitional justice process with a focus on victim satisfaction.