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By Aneth Lwakatare (*)
“Human rights protection and promotion is an issue that needs to be sensitively monitored.” This was one of the points emphasized by Dr Renu Rajbhandari in a panel discussion of human rights in Nepal.
Dr Rajbhandari, representing the Women’s Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC), Nepal, was one of the panelists at an event related to the 15th Session of the UN Human Rights Council currently meeting in Geneva. The panel, organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), was convened to reflect on the current situation in Nepal.
While recognizing the presence and efforts of both the international community and the Nepalese government, Rajbhandari expressed regret at continuing absence of the rule of law and the tendency to overlook the fundamental rights of women.
Another panelist, Ms Manuela Ott who was representing MISEREOR, the German Catholic Bishops’ Organization for Development Cooperation, called on the international community to put more pressure on the local government in ensuring human rights protection in Nepal.
Ms Giyoun Kim from FORUM-ASIA said that the Nepalese government has expressed its commitment to the protection of human rights. She called for the government of Nepal and the international community as a whole to focus greater attention on the issues of racial discrimination, gender discrimination, sexual and gender minorities, as well as the universal right to food and health.
“We call on all the international community to help us take our peace process beyond where we are,” concluded Dr Rajbhandar. “We need international facilitation to fight impunity.”
(*) Aneth Lwakatare is a WCC communications department intern from Tanzania.
Opinions expressed in WCC Features do not necessarily reflect WCC policy. This material may be reprinted freely, providing credit is given to the author.
