OHCHR accepts term extension

KATHMANDU, July 23: The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has accepted the extension of the mandate of the UN human rights body in Nepal for a year, its office here said on Thursday.



According to OHCHR-Nepal, High Commissioner Navi Pillay wrote a letter to the Nepal government confirming her acceptance of extension. She said that OHCHR “remains strongly committed to further strengthen the national human rights protection system, in particular the National Human Rights Commission, through continued cooperation and capacity building,” according to a press release issued in Kathmandu.

The Office’s mandate is now set to expire on 9 June 2010.



The OHCHR-Nepal which wanted a three-year extension and a broader mandate had lobbied hard for the extension behind closed doors. It managed to secure an extension for a year. This government agreed to extend the term despite strong opposition from the National Human Rights Commission.

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