A Voice For the Voiceless

MISSION

The Advocacy Project seeks to help community-based advocates produce, disseminate and use information, and so become more effective advocates for human rights and social justice

Statement of Human Rights Community: 11/01/06

To Nepal's Eight Political Parties (Seven Political Party Alliance & CPN Maoists)

November 1, 2006, Kathmandu:

We, the members of Nepal's human rights community, have been diligently working to promote and protect the rights of all Nepalese people, and were particularly active during the King's regime to demand a regime change that would advance democratic, humanitarian, and human rights principles, as well as actively supporting the initiation and continuation of a peace process. As the dialogue continues regarding the end of 10-year-old conflict and on political and social issues, we strongly call upon the SPA and CPN-M to address the following imperatives:

Broad consultation with human rights community should be ongoing throughout the dialogue and peace process, particularly as decisions on the constituent assembly election, arms management, and other significant issues are discussed. For the peace process to be inclusive, sustainable, and for outcomes to be implemented, public discourse, increased transparency, and wide consultations must be carried out immediately and throughout the peace process and its implementation. Dialogue with civil society will further legitimize the dialogue process, as it will increase the representation of the needs and expectations of the people, and in particular of marginalized or disenfranchised communities.

A human rights accord must be fully developed in consultation with the human rights community and signed promptly. This accord must include commitments to all international obligations and to international humanitarian and human rights laws. It must address impunity, and acknowledge and take up the issues faced by the victims of the conflict and those groups who have been marginalized in Nepal.

Mechanisms for accountability are required for the accord to be legitimate and have the confidence of the people. A ceasefire agreement should be developed, without delay, in consultation with civil society and signed by the parties to the conflict. This ceasefire agreement will legitimize the cessation of hostilities further building confidence, and must include mechanisms for accountability and enforcement.

The dialogue and peace process must be inclusive. Other armed groups are currently operating and have raised demands that should be addressed in a comprehensive process for peace and nation building. Likewise, interest groups must also have access to the process and the ability to raise their issues, which can partially be addressed through consultation with civil society. Instability in the country will continue unless the process is inclusive and transparent.

We call upon eight political parties to initiate further dialogue on these above-mentioned issues to ensure the safety, dignity and freedom of the people, and expect your cooperation in ensuring that the peace process in our country is successful and sustainable.

Sincerely,

Badri Prasad Siwakoti, HR Lifeline

Bijaya Guidel, COCAP

Bhagawati Nepal, MANK

Ganga Kasajoo, HR Alliance

Jyoti Lal Ban, Grinso Nepal

Karon Cochran-Budhathoki, HR Defender

Kishor Rajbhandari

Raj Kumar Siwakoti, FOHRID

Usha Titikshu, INSN

Bishnu Bhusal, ICPD

K.P. Adhikari, OTU Nepal

Nabaraj Pokhrel, OTU Nepal

Sushil Pyakurel, Former Member, National Human Rights Commission

Tej Sunar, DNF Nepal

Bhawani Kharel, HURFON

Bimal Karki, WOREC

Gopal K. Siwakoti, INHURED International

Subodh Raj Pyakurel, INSEC

Hari Chandra Bhattarai, ENJUS

Biswa Prakash Bhandari, NHRCC

Mukti Pradhan, NHRCC

Bimal Chandra Sharma, INSEC

Bijaya Saiju, COCERN

Purna Shobha Chitrakar, NCBL

Prof. Kapil Shrestha, Former Member, National Human Rights Commission

Shobhakar Budhathoki, HR Home/Defend Human Rights Movement-Nepal