Kathmandu, December 1

Joint Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office Ramesh Dhakal said the government could not accept some UPR recommendations made in Geneva.

He said accepting all the recommendations would make the government a party to some international conventions. He however added that the government needed to do ground work on them.

At an interaction on ‘Report of the working Group on Universal Periodic Review of Nepal: Strategy for implementation” organised by   the Secretariat of Nepal NGO Coalition for UPR in collaboration with the International Commission of Jurists and INSEC, Dhakal said the government had accepted 147 recommendations, which showed its commitment to human rights.

Dhakal also said the government would implement the accepted resolutions.

“We are party to 24 international conventions. It is not that we will not be party to other conventions, but we are not in a position to become a party to then immediately,” he added.

He said implementation of the constitution will ensure the implementation of some of the recommendations.

INSEC Chair Subodh Raj Pyakurel said the government deserves thanks for accepting 147 recommendations, but it must also ratify the Rome Statute and optional protocol on UN Convention against Torture.

He said end of de jure discrimination was not enough to protect human rights and the national plan of action should also ensure that bad practices that lead to violation of human rights are abolished through various aware-ness programmes such as school curriculum and the media.