Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Nepal has said it will close its Western Regional Office (WRO) in Pokhara as part of its downsizing and restructuring.

From July 1 onwards, OHCHR-Nepal will have three regional offices based in Kathmandu, Biratnagar and Nepalgunj, a sub-office in Janakpur and a project office in Dhangadhi, in addition to its headquarters.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the UN rights body said overall staffing will be approximately 102 posts (80 national, 22 international) compared to 177 posts in December 2007 when OHCHR-Nepal peaked (103 national, 74 international).

The office now has 41 staff members (23 national and 18 international) who work directly on human rights. This downsizing necessitated the closure of the Western Regional Office and the conversion of the Far Western Regional Office in Dhangadhi into a smaller project office.

"The Central Regional Office (Kathmandu) and Mid-Western Regional Office (Nepalgunj) will continue to work in the Western region in close partnership with the NHRC and civil society organizations with which the Western Regional Office developed links over the past four years," said OHCHR-Nepal Representative Richard Bennett.

The government has recently extended its term in Nepal for another one year despite opposition from National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). nepalnews.com June 30 09