EU envoys press for OHCHR extension

KATHMANDU, March 30: The European and the American ambassadors on Tuesday called on Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal to lobby for the extension of the mandate of the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal (OHCHR-Nepal) for the next two years. The current mandate of the UN rights body expires on June 9.



Sources present in the the meeting said the envoys stressed on the need for continuation of the tenure of the UN rights body given the poor human rights situation and "weak" National Human Rights Commission.



The prime minister, the sources said, was, however, not specific whether the government would extend the mandate of the OHCHR. But the sources told myrepublica.com that the government would take a decision on OHCHR´s new term after reviewing the scope of a new mandate.



The work on revising the scope of the OHCHR mandate is in progress, the source added.



"We are expecting a decision to this effect by next week," said one of the sources, "But it is likely that the government will not have the OHCHR in Nepal for the next two years."

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