Nepal commits to protection and promotion of human rights

KATHMANDU, Feb 27: Nepal has noted that the new Constitution has given high-priority to democratic polity, pluralism and the rule of law while reiterating full commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights.

At the High-Level Segment of the 37th Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Nepal said that the national charter has also accorded priority to the representative and accountable government, social and economic justice and universally recognized human rights as well as fundamental freedoms.

Addressing a meeting in the international forum on Monday, leader of Nepali delegation, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Shanker Das Bairagi, said that the government of Nepal was committed to fully addressing the issue of transitional justice, reads a press release issued on Tuesday by Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations Office, Geneva.

On the occasion, Secretary Bairagi said Nepal represents a unique case study of a successful peace process from an armed conflict into a democratic transformation, at the heart of which lies the aspiration and strong national commitment to ensure equal rights to all the people.

He further stated that with the successful conclusion of the elections for local-level, provincial assemblies and federal parliaments and Nepal’s constitution has come into full implementation.

While highlighting the profound meaning the right to development bears for many developing countries like Nepal, the Foreign Secretary reminded that the promise made by the Vienna Declaration to realize the universal and inalienable right to development still remains unfulfilled, reads the statement.

Secretary Bairagi said that the Universal Periodic Review mechanism has successfully evolved to become a hallmark of positive international cooperation in the realm of human rights.

He further stated that Nepal has remained constructively engaged with the UN Human rights mechanisms and mentioned that the recommendations received during Nepal’s second cycle of review under the UPR two years ago are now being implemented in earnest.

Extending sincere thanks and gratitude to all UN Member States for reposting trust on Nepal and electing her to the Human Rights Council, Foreign Secretary Bairagi expressed the view that Nepal would constructively engage with all Members and Observer States of the Council to deliver on its mandates. For that, the Foreign Secretary stressed that the Council must be apolitical and objective and should examine human rights issues on merit basis in a spirit of openness and dialogue.

The Nepali delegation led by Secretary Bairagi includes Rajib Gautam, Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Deepak Dhital, Ambassador/Permanent Representative of Nepal to the UN in Geneva and officials from Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Permanent Mission of Nepal in Geneva. RSS