Karnali Integrated Rural Development and Research Centre (KIRDARC) coordinated the 12th Human Rights National Magna Meet, An annual forum of Civil Society and Human Rights Defenders in Nepal while Humanitarian Accountability Monitoring Initiative (HAMI) and Nepal National Dalit Social Welfare Organization (NNDSWO) were the co-conveners of the magna meet. It was organised in collaboration with National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and other development partners and civil society organizations from 9th-13th December 2020. In Nepal, the activists and organizations had started to mark the human rights magna meet since 2009 to observe the International Human Rights Day.
The Human Rights Magna Meet 2020 was organized with the international theme of “Recover Better Stand for Human Rights’ on the occasion of the 72nd International Human Rights Day. The magna meet activities were organized in all seven provinces and in different districts. All the events were conducted virtually due to COVID-19 pandemic. Minister for Communications and Information and Spokesperson of the Government, Parbat Gurung inaugurated the magna meet demanding effective enforcement of verdicts of the Supreme Court to curb violence taking place in the name of rape, human trafficking, sexual violence and gender-based discrimination among others.
This magna meet highlighted and help to further strengthen the human rights situation in the country, make the stakeholders accountable to the implementation on human rights commitment and ensure solidarity to this end. Participants in the event had deliberated on the human rights situation in all seven provinces in the country. The Magna Meet also sought action to end corruption and make public service more result-oriented. The Meet was conducted in the presence of around 300 human rights activists, government bodies, representatives from civil society organizations and development partners.
The dedicated human rights activists were awarded with the different human rights award. Bhadraman Ghale was awarded with the ‘National Human Rights Award’. Daman Nath Dhungana was awarded the ‘Padma Ratna Tuladhar National Human Rights and Peace Award’ and Sapana Rokaya Magar was awarded with the ‘Shanta Laxmi Shrestha Woman-Human Rights Award’.
The 12th Human Rights National Magna Meet concluded on 13th December issuing a declaration. The declaration called for discouraging heinous crimes and perpetrators by bringing them to justice. Participants demanded effective implementation of laws formulated to end acid attacks, human trafficking, rape, Chhaupadi and child marriage, among others. According to the declaration, impunity is on the rise in the country due to failure to address the transitional justice mechanisms and that led to conflict-victims being denied the right to justice. The declaration demanded for access to COVID-19 vaccine, climate justice, appropriate amendment to the acts related to Commission for Investigation on Enforced Disappearances of Persons and Truth and Reconciliation Commission as per the international criteria.
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