U.N. Committee takes up recommendations on Nepal

On November 8, 2005, the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice delivered a statement to the U.N. Committee against Torture urging the Committee members to investigate the extent of torture against Nepal’s lower-caste members, Dalits. The CHRGJ drew attention to the heightened vulnerability of Dalits in the current political climate in Nepal. It further identified the absence of reference to caste in Nepal’s report to the Committee. The Center also identified a series of questions that the Committee could put to the Nepalese delegation. These questions included a request for data disaggregated by caste and for further information on steps taken by Nepal to ensure accountability for torture, including through more diverse caste and ethnic representation in Nepalese police and army structures.

A number of the Center’s concerns were taken up directly by the Committee Against Torture both in questions put to Nepal and in its Conclusions and Recommendations issued 22 November, 2005. Specifically, the Committee in its Conclusions and Recommendations:

* Expressed concern “that the long standing pattern of caste discrimination is being further heightened by the current conflict in the country” (para. 27);
* Stated that Nepal “should undertake specific steps to… ensure that accountability mechanisms are in place guaranteeing that caste is not used as a basis for abuses, unlawful detention and torture and take steps to ensure more diverse caste and ethnic representation in its police and security forces” (para. 27);
* Emphasised that Nepal “should include information on caste discrimination in its next periodic report” (para. 27), including through data disaggregated by caste (para. 37).

For a copy of the CHRGJ statement to the U.N. Committee Against Torture see here.
For full copy of the Conclusions and Recommendations (22 November, 2005) see: http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cat/docs/CAT_C_NPL_CO_1_CRP.3.doc