Nepal: Appoint Independent Rights Commissioners

(New York) – The Nepali government should expeditiously appoint qualified, independent, and new members to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Human Rights Watch said today. On September 16, 2013, the government allowed the terms of all commissioners to lapse, leaving the commission leaderless and Nepali citizens with even less protection than before.

The government should appoint an independent body to nominate new commissioners.

“Effectively dismantling the National Human Rights Commission is a deliberate blow by the government to human rights at the most critical time since the end of the civil war,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “With political parties publicly opposing investigations and prosecutions into rights abuses, it is enormously important for the one government body dedicated solely to protecting human rights to be able to operate.”

The commissioners had drawn attention to the end of their terms months ago and had called on the government to find a solution so the country’s chief human rights body would not be left without leadership. In spite of repeated reminders, including from citizen groups, the government chose to let the terms expire. Although the commission’s staff remains in place, it can do little without leadership from appointed commissioners.

(2013-09-18/theguardian)