All countries in South Asia face common challenges of impunity, endemic violence and discrimination

Kathmandu, April 6

The National Human Rights Commission has said the International Human Rights Conference will be held in Kathmandu from April 9 to 11.

Organising a press meet here today, the constitutional rights body said the conference would issue ‘Kathmandu declaration’.

Over 50 international representatives from over 20 countries of South Asia and Asia Pacific region would attend the conference, which will be inaugurated by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari.

Chairpersons and commissioners of national human rights institutions of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Jordan will take part in the conference. Likewise, chair of Asia Pacific Forum, Geneva Representative of Global alliance for National Human rights Institutions along with international experts on human rights will also take part in the conference.

“We will discuss overall challenges encountered by human rights institutions of the respective countries, share experiences in the conferences,” said NHRC Chair Anup Raj Sharma. He said the National Human Rights Commission would discuss the status of implementation of recommendations made by the rights bodies in different countries.

According to Sharma, implementation status of the recommendations of the National Human Rights Commission by the government and concerned agencies is dismal compared to Indian NHRC.

NHRC Commissioner Sudip Pathak said issues of violence against women, domestic violence, migration and human trafficking would be discussed in the conference.

“The conference will help the rights bodies share their experiences and coordinate with one another in future,” said Pathak. He said the national human rights body would also raise the issue of problems encountered by Nepali migrant workers with representatives from Malaysia and Jordan.

NHRC Commissioner and Spokesperson Mohana Ansari said almost all the countries of South Asia region faced common challenges of impunity, endemic violence and institutional discrimination in realising human rights goals.