Kathmandu, Dec 10: Prime Minister Sushila Karki has sought cooperation from all sides to accomplish the election to the House of Representatives (HoR) member in the stipulated time. The Prime Minister informed that formulation of laws required for the safety and identity of human rights defenders, initiative to make foreign employment safe and dignified, and preparation and implementation of the sixth human rights plan of action are the key priorities of the incumbent government. In her message of best wishes on the occasion of the 77th International Human Rights Day today, PM Karki reiterated the government’s commitment to place robust measures and actions against corruption while clarifying that maintaining good governance is the goal of the government. Noting that human rights would not be protected without an enabling environment of transparency and accountability, she said the government is unswervingly moving ahead to this path. “Free and fair election is the soul of democracy. It is the fundamental duty of the State for creating environment for citizens to select their representatives without fear, greed and pressure. The government is committed to make the upcoming March 5 election further cost effective, transparent and tech-savvy”. The Head of the Government has expressed her confidence to create atmosphere for security personnel to be deployed for election to deliver with high confidence. The PM also urged all political parties to unobtrusively participate in the election by assuring the right to vote of the eligible Nepali people and also respect, protect and promote human rights so as to make the democratic exercise such as election a success. “Nepal’s peace process has inspired the globe, but the backlog of transitional justice is yet to be address. The government is fully aware of the issue.

The transitional justice would not be complete until conflict survivors are assured of justice feeling”, she asserted. The PM expressed her belief that the concerned mechanisms would be successful in bringing the process to confidential end keeping victims at the centre on the basis of the prevailing laws and consensus. Saying that the government has been emphatically protecting the autonomy, independence and effectiveness of the national human rights commission as a watchdog of democracy, the PM pledged to execute the recommendations of the Commission. She mentioned that institutional and physical infrastructure, human resources and budget management will be further strengthened to keep the Commission in ‘A’ category.

“Climate change has emerged as another challenge today for the protection of human rights. Although Nepal is a country with minimal carbon emissions, it has had to bear the most severe impacts of climate change. Climate-induced effects such as melting glaciers, unpredictable weather cycles, floods and landslides, and rising temperatures are directly affecting every aspect of our lives, including food security, health, habitation and education”. She stated that the government is actively moving forward by strengthening national and international partnerships in adaptation, risk reduction, sustainable development, and climate justice. Prime Minister Karki added that with the core intention of sustainable development goals, the government is continuously moving towards poverty reduction, gender equality, social justice, inclusivity, peace, and prosperity.

The obligations under international human rights treaties to which Nepal is a party are being fulfilled in a timely manner, she noted. “Human rights are not merely the legal arrangements; they should be our social conducts. Sustainable peace, good governance, development and prosperity could be obtained only when we all act together to transform the human rights to everyday culture”, she stated in her message.