During her visit, it is believed Pillay will urge a reluctant Nepal government to set up the proposed South and West Asia regional office of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Kathmandu, according to a Foreign Ministry source.
Pillay will also take up with the government the issue of extension of the current term of OHCHR-Nepal, which is due to expire in June. Since its establishment in 2005, its initial two-year term was extended in 2007 for two more years. OHCHR´s Nepal mission is its largest field mission in the world. The issue of impunity is on top of Pillay´s agenda during her stay in Nepal.Though the OHCHR sent an offer to Nepal about six months ago to set up its South and West Asia regional office in Kathmandu, the government is yet to send in a request. Foreign Ministry sources have said Nepal is most likely to say no because of the “sensitivities of our regional friends”.
A South African national, Pillay, 68, replaced Canadian Louise Arbour in September last year. Pillay´s is the second high-level visit from the UN after the Maoists came to power in August last year. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited Nepal on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 last year.
During her visit to Nepal in January 2007, erstwhile High Commissioner Arbour had stressed two major concerns: first, the need to end impunity and second, issues related to discrimination that are emerging as major factors to be addressed. "Resolving both are crucial to building sustainable peace," Arbour had told a farewell press conference in Kathmandu.
tilak@myrepublica.com
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