Kathmandu, Nepal, September 14, 2022: As Geneva-based Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) downgraded the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)'s status to 'B’ from ‘A’ pressures are now mounted to its office bearers for the resignation from the post.
The GANHRI, which had been expressing its serious concerns over the appointments of its office bearers sans fulfilling the criteria by then KP Oli led government, has now downgraded the NHRC to ‘B’ status from ‘A’ status.
Expressing their deep concern about the downgrading of the NHRC status by GANHRI, former office bearers of the NHRC have urged the government and all stakeholders to do the needful to retain NHRC's 'A' status. Not only the former office bearers of the NHRC but also other human right activists have also used social media to demand resignation of the NHRC office bearers.
Issuing a press statement on Sunday, former NHRC chair Kedarnath Upadhyay and members- Kapil Shrestha, Gauri Pradhan, Mohna Ansari, Govinda Sharma Paudel, and Ram Dayal Rakesh have demanded that members of the NHRC and its chief should resign from their posts to maintain the NHRC's credibility and to save the country's image in the international arena.
The GANHRI has downgraded NHRC' status raising questions on the legality of the appointment of NHRC office bearers (members and its chief) and their work performance. Then Oli-led government had made appointments to the NHRC office bearers through an ordinance, which was subsequently repealed notwithstanding the concerns raised by the concerned stake holders including the GANHRI.
As the appointments were made not only violating the Nepal's domestic laws and practices but also violating the Paris Principles that requires open, transparent, and participatory process, the GANHRI sub-committee, had urged time and again to the NHRC to abide by the principles or face the downgraded status from A to B.
However, neither the office bearers of the NHRC nor the government responded the concerns raised by the GANHRI. The national human rights body, NHRC, had been retaining in 'A' status since its inception.
