KATHMANDU, Dec 26: Human rights and civil society activists have emphasized that the officials of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) should work in such a way that the international image of the Commission does not deteriorate.

They have also emphasized that the NHRC officials should do the needful to prevent the Commission from downgrading to 'B' category. They emphasized that the recommendation made by the International Coordinating Committee, the sub-committee of National Human Rights Institutions (Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions 'GANHRI') to downgrade the NHRC to 'B' category should not be implemented.

The activists have insisted on maintaining the trust that Nepal has gained in the field of human rights and not letting “the declining status of the National Human Rights Commission” lead to the loss of the trust that Nepal has gained so far in the field of human rights at the international level. Former chairman of the NHRC, Anup Raj Sharma pointed out the need to discuss with the officers of the Commission regarding the downgrading of the level of the Commission to B category and requested GANHERI not to do that.

Similarly, former commissioner of NHRC Ramdayal Rakesh opined that the current officers of the NHRC should take the responsibility for the deterioration of the international image of the Commission. Claiming that the international image of the Commission was not that weak even during the direct royal rule, he said that the current officials should do the needful so that the rating of the commission does not fall to 'B' category.

Human rights activist Mohan Acharya said that the coordination committee of GANHERI which evaluates the national human rights commissions of different countries has recommended placing the NHRC in category B, but since no formal decision has been made, the decision can still be prevented from being implemented. He expressed that the officials of the NHRC should resign and pave the way for that.

He argued that the officials should resign in order to maintain Nepal's international image, as the plan of downgrading the Commission came along with the questions about the appointment of NHRC officials.

 
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