KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 5 UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues Nicolas Levrat has begun an official visit to Nepal, scheduled from 4 to 13 December 2025, to assess the situation of national, ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities in the country. During the 10-day visit, Levrat will review Nepal's laws, policies and practices affecting minority communities, with a focus on political participation, education access, justice delivery, and the handling of hate crimes and hate speech. The UN expert is set to meet senior government officials, representatives of minority groups, civil society organisations, and religious leaders. His mission will take him beyond Kathmandu, with planned visits to Madhesh Province and Karnali Province. The visit comes at the invitation of the Government of Nepal. Levrat will host a press conference on 12 December at 3 pm at the UN House in Lalitpur to share his preliminary observations. A comprehensive report based on his findings will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2026.