Nepal government again expressed it’s full commitments to ratify the Rome Statute of International Criminal Court (ICC). On a talk programme ‘Why Rome Statute is not being Ratified?’ organized by Amnesty International Nepal on 20 July 2011, Minister for Energy Gokarna Bista said, “Government expresses its full commitment to ratify Rome Statute and is now preparing for it doing a consultation with all political parties.” He further added, “The government is committed to end the culture of impunity in Nepal.”
Likewise, Constituent Assembly (CA) member and popular youth leader of Nepali congress Gagan Thapa urged all political parties not to afraid of ratifying the Statute. He also said that he will register a resolution in the Parliament with the signatures of CA members in the near future.
CA member Binod Pahadi from UCPN (Maoist) also expressed his full commitments on the occasion. Representing the Maoist party he said that his party is not against the ratification of Rome statute. He also called Nepal government to bring the proposal in the parliament.
Similarly, leader of Madhesi Rights Forum (Democratic) and CA member Ramjanam Chaudhari also expressed his full commitments to the statute. He said that “We got many commitments but now we arrived on a step of action.” He further added-“We need no more commitments but need actions.”
CA members of Nepali congress Laxmi Pariyar said, “If we ratify the Rome Statute then we can get justice”.
Civil Society leader and Journalist Shyam Shrestha and president of Human Rights and Peace Society Homkanta Choulagain said that political parties should be serious to ratify the Statute.
On the occasion, representative of Amnesty International’s International Secretariat in London Frida Kruijt, Chairperson of AI Nepal Hem Kumar Khadka and General Secretary Rashmila Bhochhibhoya made it clear that the Rome Statute has no retrospective effects, so no one need to be afraid ratify it.
At the beginning, AI Nepal’s Director Rameshwar Nepal made a presentation about the Rome Statute and increasing trend of impunity in Nepal.
The establishment of a new permanent International Criminal Court in 2002 represents a major breakthrough in international justice. The Court will investigate and prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes when national authorities are unable or unwilling to do so.
The Court will therefore act as a catalyst for states to fulfill their primary obligations to investigate and prosecute the crimes.
AI Nepal has been campaigning for the ratification of the Rome Statute since 2000.