Government is committed to promoting human rights: Home Minister

Kathmandu: Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand has said the government is committed to implementing the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)’s recommendations. In his address to the 22nd anniversary of the NHRC in Kathmandu on Friday, the Home Minister shared that a task force had been already formed to proceed towards that end.

He pledged to keep the NHRC’s independency and sovereignty intact. He went on today that the bill to amend the NHRC act had been presented to the House with priority and the presence of NHRC would be further effective once the document got endorsed.

The bill is centered on enhancing the freedom and sovereignty of the NHRC, according to him. As he said, the government is committed to ensuring accessibility of survivors of war-time incidents to justice and it will be carried out through a transitional justice mechanism soon.

“Government security bodies and law-implementing bodies are committed to protecting and respecting the people’s civic and political rights,” he said, claiming that there was a fall in incidences of human rights violations.

“The government adopts a policy of ending impunity and a zero-tolerance against the violation of human rights,” he said, adding that he pledged to build a human rights-friendly atmosphere to promote the economic, social, and cultural rights of the people. According to the Home Minister, coordination and cooperation among the three-tier government are going on for implementing the fifth human rights national work plan.

“The government is serious towards the implementation of international and regional commitments to addressing issues of migrant workers subjugated to torture, abuse, and labour exploitation by strengthening the capacity of diplomatic missions abroad in cooperation with the international organizations and the NRNA,” he said.

As the Minister explained, the climate change issue and its impact in Nepal-like countries is not just the concern of the state, but it is the responsibility of the international community as well and the government was committed to abiding by its responsibilities as per international commitments regarding climate change.

The Home Minister went on to say that a security mechanism had been further strengthened to deal with the cases of violence against women such as rape, domestic violence and acid attack efficiently and ensure justice to survivors. “I want to share here that the government is doing homework to formulate required laws to prevent such incidences.

” The government bodies are working actively and with much concern to protect women and girls from being subjugated to violence and criminal offenses, according to the Minister. As he said, the government expects support and cooperation from civil society, social entities, political parties, and human rights defenders to build a society free from crime.

He vowed to pay special heed to accelerate the rebuilding of the NHRC building damaged by the 2015 earthquake. Also speaking on the occasion, NHRC chair Top Bahadur Magar expressed his concern over what he said lack of full implementation of its recommendations.

“The NHRC is in regular discussions with bodies concerned including the government to ensure the full executions of its recommendations. We hope for justice to survivors.” He took time to insist on an equal role of a three-tier government for the protection and promotion of human rights.

He was worried over what he said lack of priority to the people’s rights to education, health, housing, food sovereignty, and consumers’ rights. “The incidences of women violence, sexual assault, rape, and caste-based discriminations have not been minimized. As he said, the NHRC reached all the 77 districts for the monitoring of local level elections in view of human rights.