Government Official, Ministers Pledge HR Commitment

Nepal Government Ministers and senior government officials have expressed commitment to human rights in separate meetings to UN Human Rights Committee vice-chairperson Margo Waterval on November 5.

Speaking with Waterval who is on unofficial visit to Nepal to follow-up on Committee’s Concluding Observation and Recommendation, Office of the Prime Minister Secretary Raju Man Singh Malla said that the government had taken steps on three major issues stressed by the Committee viz. torture and enforced disappearance, NHRC and extra-judicial killing in Tarai. Saying that the government had taken the review seriously, Malla said that the government was preparing on the follow-up report to be submitted to the Committee on March 2015 and added that anti-torture bill had been drafted by the government.

Foreign Secretary Shankar Das Bairagi claimed that in comparison to the government of the region, Government of Nepal was involved in the UN process. Foreign minister Mahendra Bahadur Pandey said the government was trying its best as allowed by resources, to uphold the human rights of every citizen.

In another meeting, Speaker Subash Chandra Nembang told the visiting dignitary that though constitution had been the priority of the parliamentarians, many pro-human rights bills including Anti Gender Discrimination Bill and Penal Code would be endorsed soon.

Minister for Law and Justice, Narhari Acharya also appreciated the interest shown by national and international human rights committee and added that such vigilance enables the government to improve its human rights records.