Freedom Forum has been worried over the downgraded status of the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal. The Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) based in Geneva downgraded the NHRC status to 'B’. GANHRI decided to downgrade the NHRC in the wake of the questions being raised over the unconstitutional appointment of the Chairperson and Members of NHRC. The KP Sharma Oli-led government had appointed the Chairperson and Members of NHRC, breaching the constitution two years back. Even the writ petition filed against such a move of the government has been pending at Supreme Court since then. Similarly, the KP Oli-led government made attempt to curtail the role of NHRC while amending the NHRC Act, which too must have contributed to the point in downgrading NHRC. Freedom Forum takes this backsliding of NHRC seriously and urges all stakeholders, including the government and political parties to be serious to restore the NHRC status so that Nepal’s human rights image can be boosted at home and in the international arena. Executive Chief of FF, Taranath Dahal, observed, “Downgrading of NHRC is a blot on Nepal’s principle human rights monitoring body. Question on credibility of NHRC also questions the system. NHRC must therefore revive its image of an independent rights watch body. Government must stop its efforts to limit NHRC jurisdiction. Breaching rights body’s jurisdiction is not acceptable in a democracy.” #HumanRights #NationalHumanRightsCommissionNepal #NHRCNepal
Freedom Forum is a prominent non-governmental organization in Nepal dedicated to institutionalizing democracy, protecting and promoting human rights, press freedom, freedom of expression, right to information, promoting audit accountability, open and accountable budget, public finance reforms, citizen engagement in public finance management and citizen participation in audit. Established in February 2005, the organization emerged in response to the political turmoil following Former King Gyanendra’s coup dated February 1, 2005, which imposed severe restrictions on media and democratic rights. A group of media professionals, legal experts, and academics founded Freedom Forum to safeguard Nepal’s hard-earned democratic freedoms during this repressive period.
