Nepal's Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has expressed his full support for the unanimous resolution passed by the House of Representatives directing government to accede to the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court (ICC) one month earlier. A group of Asian delegation, including FORUM-ASIA, was in Nepal on 26-27 August 2006 to conduct a series of visits to key government officials aimed to support the parliamentary directive. The group also held a one-day conference on the Rome Statute and the impact of accession to Nepal's legal system.
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Nepal’s Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has expressed his full support for the unanimous resolution passed by the House of Representatives directing government to accede to the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court (ICC) one month earlier.
“I want it. It will assist in the consolidation of democracy in Nepal,” he said, when met at his residence Saturday, 26 August 2006.
Members of the delegation which met the Prime Minister were from FORUM-ASIA, NGO Coalition for the ICC, Odhikar-Bangladesh, and the Informal Sector Service Centre (INSEC) in Nepal.
pic with nepali fmThe Asian delegation was in Nepal on 26-27 August 2006 to conduct a series of visits to key government officials aimed to support the parliamentary directive. The group also held a one-day conference on the Rome Statute and the impact of accession to Nepal’s legal system.
They included Dr. Ahmed Ziauddin (Asian Network for the ICC), Evelyn Serrano (NGO Coalition for the ICC), Niza Concepcion (FORUM-ASIA), Dr. Nazrul Islam (Odhikar) and Katherine Aylwin (Odhikar). Shubodh Pyakurel, INSEC Chairperson, hosted the delegation team.
The group also met Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister KP Sharma Oli at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he shared a concern about the Maoist group’s reaction to accession, stressing that it would be in the best interest of Nepal if they could draw in the support of the Maoists to ICC accession as well.
He said the rebels may be concerned about being brought before the ICC for alleged crimes against humanity.
However, a meeting with Maoist leaders set for 26 August 2006 was unexpectedly canceled by the Maoists without an explanation.
Dr. Ahmed Ziauddin, a member of the delegation, expressed regret at this development, saying “many of their concerns and misconceptions could have been easily clarified”.
The group also met with Honorable Subash Nembwang, Speaker of the House of Representatives, who promised to follow up with the government, until the parliamentary directive is fully complied with.
Parshu Ram Meghi Gurung who was responsible for drafting the adopted resolution, hosted the delegation’s visit to the Parliament House.
Political party leaders Madhav Kumar Nepal of the Communist Party of Nepal-UML and Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress (Democratic) Party likewise reiterated their parties’ full support to ICC accession.
Meanwhile, at the 26 August ICC Conference themed: “Ending Impunity: A Revival of the ICC Campaign in Nepal”, Judge Ananda Mohan Bhattarai from the Judicial Council and the Appellate Court shared a list of implementing legislation necessary upon Nepal’s accession.
He cited the need to streamline the laws to allow for cooperation with the ICC, as well as the need to modernise Nepal’s procedural laws.
“Nepal needs a comprehensive law on cooperation with the Court. Accession will also give us a pretext for drafting legislation focusing on victims’ rights and protection” he added.
In a press conference held on 28 Sunday, the delegation expressed their appreciation for the government’s positive reception of the parliamentary directive and saluted the Nepali people’s return to democracy, vowing to support their efforts towards accountability and justice by joining the ICC.
At the same event, INSEC also launched its ICC website in the press conference. The site includes important links to the regional and international ICC campaigns as well as Nepal’s national campaigns. The site can be accessed through www.inseconline.org
