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No blanket amnesty for serious human rights violations of conflict period: Foreign Minister Gyawali

Khabarhub

January 21, 2021

3 MIN READ

No blanket amnesty for serious human rights violations of conflict period: Foreign Minister Gyawali

Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali presents Nepal’s national report to the 3rd cycle of the Universal Periodic Review at 37th Session of the Human Rights Council UPR Working Group. (Photo: MOFA)

KATHMANDU: Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali has said that the government is steadfast that there would be no blanket amnesty in cases of serious violation of human rights during conflict.

Minister Gyawali said so while addressing the third cycle of the Universal Periodic Review of Nepal held during the 37th Session of the Human Rights Council UPR Working Group on Thursday.

The Foreign Minister underscored that Nepal’s peace process is guided by the Comprehensive Peace Accord, the directives of the Supreme Court, relevant international commitments, concerns of the victims, and the ground realities.

Foreign Minister thanked the Member States for their support to the candidatures of Nepal to the Human Rights Council and CEDAW Committee for Nepal’s reelection for a second term and expressed commitment to constructively contribute towards the promotion and protection of human rights, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Foreign Minister said that Nepal believes in the universality, indivisibility, interdependence, interrelatedness, and mutually reinforcing nature of human rights, including the right to development.

He said that Nepal’s commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights is total and unequivocal, and underscored that the rule of law and human rights should be evenly operational at national, regional, and international levels.

Foreign Minister expressed that the Constitution of Nepal guarantees a wide array of civil, political, social, economic, and cultural rights akin to those provided in the human rights instruments.

“The Constitution of Nepal is founded on the value of equality, social justice, and non-discrimination, he added.

He highlighted the comprehensive, transparent, and consultative legal reform process was undertaken, both to implement Nepal’s human rights commitments and to drive the federalization process,” he said.

The Foreign Minister highlighted that in 2017, Nepal successfully held free, fair, transparent, and broad-based participatory elections at all three levels, embracing the principle of proportional and inclusive representation which made it possible to have women accounting for about 41 percent of elected public offices.

He further mentioned that the continuing efforts of the government in promoting gender equality and inclusiveness, combating violence against women, promoting rights of the child, ending caste-based discrimination, as well as promoting the rights of indigenous people, Dalits, minorities, and other marginalized communities.

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