Swiss govt. to host conference on Nepal next month

The Swiss government has invited representatives of His Majesty’s Government of Nepal, co-sponsors of the Item 19 Resolution 2005 and other interested states, UN and international experts as well as members of the Nepali civil society to a conference in Geneva next month (April 18).

“Its purpose is to engage in a dialogue with all relevant actors on the human rights situation in Nepal and to assess the extent to which the commitments and measures following the Resolution 2005 have had an impact on the situation,” said a statement issued by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) on Thursday. “Further, it will provide its participants with an opportunity to express their deep concern about continuous human rights violations and abuses committed by all parties to the conflict in Nepal,” the statement added.

The Swiss government has extended an invitation to, amongst others, His Majesty’s Government of Nepal, the National Human Rights Commission, the Advocacy Forum, Nepal Bar Association, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the International Commission of Jurists, the statement said.

The UN Commission on Human Rights had its annual session in Geneva from 13 to 27 March 2006. Due to the creation of the Human Rights Council, the Commission has not addressed substantial human rights matters, nor has it adopted specific country resolutions, the statement added. nepalnews.com by Mar 30 06