BANGKOK, Thailand (13 May 2025) – The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and the Asian NGO Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI) congratulate the National Human Rights Commission of Nepal (NHRCN) for maintaining its “A” accreditation status from the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI)-Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA).
On 23 April 2025, the SCA announced the decision following its review of the Commission’s compliance with the Paris Principles in March 2024.
The Paris Principles are international standards that national human rights institutions (NHRIs) must meet in order to be recognised as credible, independent, transparent, and effective in carrying out their mandate to protect and promote human rights. The SCA grants NHRIs an “A” status if they fully comply with the Paris Principles.
“FORUM-ASIA and ANNI commend the NHRCN for maintaining its ‘A’ status. We look forward to seeing the NHRCN alongside Nepali authorities take the necessary steps to address the SCAs’ recommendations. We are here to support the Commission in strengthening its mandate and effectiveness in compliance with the Paris Principles,” said Mary Aileen Diez-Bacalso, Executive Director of FORUM-ASIA.
Amend the NHRC Act
FORUM-ASIA and ANNI join the SCA and civil society in urging the Government of Nepal to accelerate its efforts to oversee the passage of the proposed amendments to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Act without further delays.
The NHRC Act 2012 (2068 BS) is a foundational law that defines the structure, mandate, powers, and functioning of the Commission. It gives effect to Article 248 of the Constitution of Nepal, which establishes the NHRC as a constitutional body.
In September 2024, the NHRCN submitted a draft bill proposing amendments to the Act. If passed, the amended Act would enhance the Commission’s compliance with the Paris Principles by clarifying the selection and appointment process for its commissioners, thereby ensuring a participatory, transparent, and inclusive process.
The amendment legally requires the appointment of at least two women to leadership positions. It also includes clear provisions on preventing conflicts of interest.
The NHRCN previously underwent special accreditation reviews in 2022 and 2023 following civil society’s growing concerns over the Commission’s appointment process. In its latest accreditation review, the SCA urged the NHRCN to address the following:
- Low uptake of recommendations by the government
- Lack of pluralism in its leadership
- Inadequate resources and funding
- Vague provisions on the dismissal of Commissioners
The SCA recognizes the NHRCN’s efforts in advocating for the strengthening of the NHRC Act to address some of the aforementioned concerns; however, delays at the government level continue to impede reforms.
Heed the Commission’s recommendations
The SCA echoed civil society’s long-standing concern over how a vast majority of the NHRCN’s recommendations remain either partially implemented or completely unaddressed.
As an NHRI, the NHRC Nepal performs its advisory function by issuing recommendations to the various state and non-state actors in order to address human rights concerns. It plays an important role in recommending steps to address human rights violations and in ensuring domestic laws and practices adhere to international human rights standards.
Since its establishment in 2000, only 15.3 per cent of the 1,573 recommendations have been fully implemented. Meanwhile, nearly 40 percent is only partially implemented and 45.5 percent has had no progress at all.
Despite provisions in the NHRC Act that mandate government agencies to respond to the said recommendations, none of the 444 recommendations made by the NHRCN in the past four years were ever implemented.
FORUM-ASIA and ANNI call on Nepali authorities to fully implement Article 17 of the NHRCN Act by responding to the Commission’s recommendations in a timely and substantive manner. Likewise, the NHRCN must follow up with the government to promote meaningful engagement and ensure that all of its unaddressed recommendations are effectively resolved.
At the same time, we encourage the NHRCN to enhance its internal follow-up mechanisms, including more robust public communication, parliamentary engagement, and collaboration with civil society to monitor progress and generate momentum for enforcement.
For the PDF version of this statement, click here
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