7 March 2022, Kathmandu: Advocacy Forum-Nepal organized two days in–house workshop on human rights violations on 5-6 March 2022 in Nagarkot, Bhaktapur. AF staff from the provincial and central offices attended the workshop. The main objective of the meeting was to discuss the documentation process of gross human rights violations and seek remedies, nationally and internationally.
The workshop started with a general session on the documentation of gross human rights violations, tackling the challenges one can encounter while documenting a case of human rights violation, as well as the strategies to overcome such challenges. A more specific session on the documentation of cases of torture and ill-treatment was further conducted. Following the sessions, AF lawyers presented their achievements and challenges while documenting and litigating human rights violations’ cases in their respective provinces. In addition, two expert sessions providing tips and techniques to document physical and psychological torture were respectively conducted by Dr. Gopal Chaudhary (Forensic Department, IOM) and Dr. Sagun Ballav Pant (Psychiatric department, IOM) to foster AF staff knowledge and skills. A separate session on child rights and juvenile justice was also facilitated by AF Lawyer Pushpa Raj Poudel, and a session on available international remedies was further led by Dr. Mandira Sharma.
The participants concluded that objective and systematic documentation, as well as strategic litigation, are critical to gaining access to justice for victims of human rights violations. They also pledged to put what they learned during the event into practice while documenting and litigating human rights violations in their respective provinces.
The workshop was supported by United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture.
