National Human Rights Commission of Nepal (NHRC)

Sushil Pyakurel of the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal (NHRC) will discuss the current human rights situation in Nepal

For three decades, Sushil Pyakurel has played a key role in institutionalizing human rights activities in the Kingdom of Nepal. He is the founder of the oldest human rights organization in the country, the Human Rights Protection Forum, and is also the founder of Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC).
In his capacity as a commissioner for the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal (NHRC), Mr. Pyakurel assisted on the formulation of the "Minimum Immediate Steps for Human Rights Protection," a series of recommendations by the NHRC to the Communist Party Nepal (Maoists) and His Majesty's Government (HMG) in order to ensure respect for human rights in the current conflict. This document outlines the systematic human rights abuses, which include rape, disappearances, torture, arbitrary detention and execution on both sides of the conflict. The importance of this document is underscored by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's statement on June 10, 2004, "Civilians in Nepal continued to be the worst hit, and sexual violence as weapons of war against women and girls is being increasingly used" (www.kantipuronline.com). Annan's comments were made on the heels of the NHRC criticizing both the government forces and the Maoists for committing massive human rights abuses.
Please join us for a lunch hour discussion on the challenges to implement the Minimum Immediate Steps for Human Rights Protection in Nepal with Mr. Pyakurel.