6 March 2020, Kathmandu
The National Consultation on Girls Rights in Nepal UPR-3 rd cycle was successfully organized by National
Coalition for Girls’ Rights (NCGR), a coalition established in 2076(2019), a network of 25 member
organizations dedicated to bringing practical changes in the lives of girl children and recognition of their
rights at three-tier federal structure and sector in Nepal. The program was supported by Jagriti Child and
Youth Concern Nepal (JCYCN), Swatantrata Abhiyan Nepal (SAN), Global March, and Girls Advocacy
Alliance in collaboration with National Child-Friendly Local Governance (NCFLG) Forum, Social
Protection Civil Society Network, Consortium Nepal, Destination Unknown, National Child Protection
Alliance (NCPA), National Action and Coordination Group (NACG), Children as Zone of Peace (CZOP),
Human Rights Treaty Monitoring Coordination Committee (HRTMCC) CRC Committee, Education Watch
Group, Asian Girl Campaign, and Ratify OP3 CRC Coalition Nepal. 50 participants representing 8 INGOs,
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), 15 NGOs, 12 Networks, and Media were present in the
program.
The consultation program was chaired by Tilottam Paudel, Chairperson of NCGR, and the welcome
remarks were given by Gobinda Shahi from KIRDARC, also the core team member of NCGR. Babita
Pariyar, girl representative and girls’ rights activist talked about how while she is advocating for girls’
rights, her peers are victims of child marriage and teen motherhood. Similarly, Krishna Chandra Acharya
from NACG highlighted the importance of coordination between civil society, constitutional bodies, and
the government and stated that if that is possible, the next UPR reporting cycle can be an integrated
report, with voices from all 753 local government units.
Director of NHRC, Murari Prasad Kharel presented on International Human Rights Mechanisms, the
entire process of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and the NHRC’s role in ensuring the rights and
reporting process so far. Writtu Bhatta Rai, Co-Chair of NCGR, presented the actual status of girls in
Nepal, gathered through the information collected from field, and explained the UPR Recommendations
Nepal received in the 2 nd UPR cycle, relevant to girls, and its implementation status.
Krishna Subedi, representing HRTMCC CRC Committee, emphasized on the balance between criticism
and praise of the positive steps taken by the government in treaty based reporting. This was followed by
an open floor discussion where Civil Society members, and the representatives of like INGOs like Plan
International, Good Neighbors International Nepal, World Vision International Nepal, and so on
mentioned important issues that they requested to be included in the report like the intersection,
participation, social protection, harmful practices, child friendly local governance, and reformation of
the school curriculum.
Rabin Nepal from C-Net emphasized on the need to advocate for the rights of girls living in alternative
care homes and need of policies on alternative care along with the rights of severely disabled girls.
Manju Khatiwada, Deputy Director of NHRC, mentioned the need for specific mechanisms for
implementation of UN treaty body Recommendations, and mechanisms to ensure the discrepancy
between federal laws and its implementation in local level.
Tilottam Paudel, the Chairperson of the program and of NCGR highlighted various issues of girls, shared
his gratitude of having a large coalition of organizations for UPR reporting in comparison to 2015 when
JCYCN was the sole organization to prepare girl centric UPR report. The report that reflects the status of
girls in Nepal since the last UPR Reporting cycle in 2015 will be submitted to the United Nations Office of
the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) by 26 th of March.
