Advocacy Forum (AF) is a leading non-profit, non-governmental organization working to promote the rule of law and uphold international human rights standards in Nepal. Established in 2001, AF is actively confronting the culture of impunity that has thrived for decades by systematically documenting human rights violations/abuses, bringing legal cases against perpetrators and monitoring detention centers. The information we collect is published and presented to national and international audiences providing evidence for the reform necessary to improve the justice system in Nepal. We regularly work within the international human rights realm, engaging international legal mechanisms and working closely with Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the International Commission of Jurists, the Asian Human Rights Commission and World Organization against Torture. We played an active role in lobbying for the establishment of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Nepal. AF, with the help of these and other concerned agencies has placed Nepal at the forefront for significant human rights attention.

HUMAN RIGHTS IN NEPAL

In April 2006, following a public uprising against the repressive policies of Nepal's monarchy, an interim government was formed and a peace accord was signed shortly after. This marked the beginning of the end of a decade of conflict between the Maoists and the State. However, despite this dramatic shift in power, those responsible for the more than 13,000 lives lost, the hundreds disappeared, tortured and raped during the conflict are yet to be brought to account. Hundreds of cases of human rights violations remain unaddressed while the perpetrators enjoy impunity and their victims are denied justice and reparation. Nepal's future depends on how we deal with our recent past and rebuild the country's justice system. AF believes that to create an environment for reconciliation, cases of human rights abuses must be acknowledged and addressed in a manner that exposes the truth, makes perpetrators accountable and finally brings justice to the victims.

Now is the time to address the human rights deficit in Nepal. Active engagement from the Nepali State, civil society, and the international community is required to defeat the culture of impunity that presently exists. Since 2001, the AF team launched several different initiatives and activities intended to combat this culture of impunity.

We focus on the following seven programs to ensure access to justice by all:

Human Right Violation Documentation Detention Center Monitoring Child Right Monitoring Transitional Justice Legal Aid International Lobbying and Advocacy