ARTICLE 19 and Freedom Forum welcome the opportunity to contribute to the second cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. This submission focuses on Nepal’s compliance with its obligations under international human rights law to protect and promote the right to freedom of expression and information.
ARTICLE 19 and Freedom Forum observe that Nepal has made some progress towards implementing recommendations that it accepted during its first UPR to advance protections for the right to freedom of expression and information. In particular, there has been a marked reduction in the number of instances of attacks on journalists and human rights defenders. The establishment of the Commission for the Investigation of Disappeared Persons, Truth and Reconciliation is also a positive step forward.
However, Nepal has failed to implement several of the key recommendations accepted during its first UPR.
This submission addresses the following concerns in detail:
- Failure to reform the Constitution to bring it in line with international standards on freedom of expression;
- Failure to fully protect human rights defenders and journalists, and to end impunity for violations against them;
- Failure to bring the legal framework into conformity with international standards on freedom of expression
- Continued use of the legal framework to harass and intimidate journalists and Internet users;
- Failure to strengthen the National Human Rights Commission and restore its independence
Read the submission in full here.