Leaders of political parties and representatives of civil society urged all political parties to incorporate commitment to accessed Rome Statute into their election manifestos. Addressing a talk program organized by Amnesty International Nepal on 17th July 2013 which was organized also to launch a Nationwide Public Awareness Campaign on International Criminal Court and the Rome Statue, speakers said impunity in Nepal is growing day by day because of political protection to the alleged perpetrators.
They said in single voice – ‘Accession to the Rome Statute of ICC has a multiplier benefit for Nepal. We can address international and national serious crimes through this instrument. Becoming state party to the ICC helps us to avert possibilities of future violation of human rights’. On the occasion, Leader of Nepali Congress Dr. Minendra Rijal said his party is committed to access the Rome Statute but United Communist Party of Nepal Maoist (UCPN-Maoist) is afraid of doing that. He further suggested to civil society not to criticize all political parties putting all in the same basket. Leader of Communist Party of Nepal United Marxist and Leninist (CPN-UML) Rudra Nepal Said that UML is with AI Nepal on the campaign of Rome Statute. He also added UML is committed to remove the name of those people from election candidate list who are convicted crime.
Similarly, Secretary General of Nepal Bar Association Sunil Kumar Pokhrel expressed concern over a series of decisions by the Government of Nepal to pardon those persons who implicated in serious crimes and human rights abuses in Nepal. He added that accession of Rome Statute could prevent from this series. Similarly, member of National Women Commission (NWC) Manu Humagain (KC) said the NWC will be always with AI Nepal in its campaign on the Rome Statute. Former Chairperson of AI Nepal Pradip Pokhrel said giving amnesty to anyone guilty of serious crimes ran counter to Nepal’s obligations to humanitarian law and would deny victims their right to justice. Likewise, Advisor of AI Nepal Krisna Kandel said ratification of Rome Statute could protect the country from other incidents like Doramba or Bandarmudhe in future.
Chairperson of AI Nepal Shambhu Thakur said the present government under the leadership of sitting Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi is not implementing his own verdict related to some crime. ‘It is matter of shame,’ he further added. Chairperson of Human Rights and Peace Society, Homkanta Chaulagain said Rome Statue should be ratified for impunity free society. Representative of National Network for ratification of Rome Statute Samjha Shrestha informed about the ongoing activities related to ratification of Rome Statute by the network. Director of AI Nepal Rameshwar Nepal made a presentation about the Rome Statute and role of International Criminal Court in preventing impunity. He added that there is fear of retrospective effect in Nepal but it could come into effect only after the accession. On the occasion, Vice-chairperson of AI Nepal Surya Bahadur Adhikari and Treasurer Pratap Poudel also elaborated the benefits of accession of the Rome Statute.
The program was organized on the occasion of International Justice Day. July 17 is chosen as ‘International Justice Day’ because it is the anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute, the treaty that created the International Criminal Court. On 1 June 2010, at the Review Conference of the Rome Statute held in Kampala (Uganda), the Assembly of State Parties decided to celebrate 17 July as the Day of International Criminal Justice. Each year, people around the world use this day to host events to promote international criminal justice, especially support for the International Criminal Court.