29 July 2013. Advocacy Forum – Nepal (AF) organized a one-day National Consultation Meeting entitled “Nepal Report of Inquiry Procedure under Article 20 and State Responsibility” on 26 July 2013 in Dhulikhel, Kavre district. The meeting was mainly focused on the report on Nepal adopted by the United Nations Committee against Torture (CAT) under article 20 of the Convention against Torture and comments and observations by the State party.
The aforesaid report is based on the findings of 6 year-long confidential inquiry on torture in Nepal and has been adopted by the Committee at its forty-sixth session (9 May – 3 June 2011).
In the first session of the meeting, Ms. Mandira Sharma, Chairperson of AF, presented the requirements of CAT, trends of reports of torture from 2001 to 2012, compliances of constitutional provisions, recommendations made by the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture in 2005, Nepal’s obligations to end torture and Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment and so on. After that the participants raised their concerns and discussed on the relevant issues.
In the second session, Mr. Hari Phuyal presented Committee against Torture’s report of confidential inquiry on torture in Nepal and Nepal’s responsibilities to address it. Participants discussed on the roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders of criminal justice system to prevent torture in Nepal.
Altogether 60 participants including representatives from the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the Office of the Attorney General, Nepal Bar Association, Nepal Police, defense lawyers, and human rights defenders attended the program.
