25 September, 2007
An interaction between an international delegation of Amnesty International (AI) and a range of actors including non-governmental organizations, lawyers and members of civil society was held in Kathmandu on 25 September 2007. A delegation of the AI visiting Nepal to work with Amnesty International Nepal to promote ratification and implementation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
At the programme participants were briefed about the campaigning activities that the human rights organization and civil society have been undertaking and challenges to get ICC statute ratified in Nepal.
The delegation of experts included Linda Billfalk, Member of Amnesty International’s Working Group on International Justice and Evelyn Serrano, Asia Coordinator of Coalition for the International Criminal Court. The delegation seeked to identify ways in which Amnesty International can support the efforts for ratification of the ICC. The delegation’s visit to Kathmandu was coordinated with a mission by Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA), which organised a round-table discussion for Nepalese parliamentarians today. David Donat Cattin, director of PGA, joined some of the meetings of the delegation.
During the meetings government representatives expressed support for the ICC. However, they did not offer any commitment to proceed with ratification immediately. The delegation urged the government to complete ratification as a matter of the utmost urgency to ensure that the ICC can act as a deterrent against any future crimes and offer protection for Nepali people.
In meetings with the leaders of several political parties as well as parliamentarians from different parties, the delegation welcomed the active support that parliament has demonstrated for the ICC by approving a proposal providing for the government to ratify the Rome Statute on 25 July 2006. The delegation discussed in detail with them how the ICC works in practice and the benefits that it offers to Nepal (see below). They urged parliamentarians to continue calling for Nepal’s immediate ratification.
The delegation also met with the Nepal Police, Armed Police Force as well as the Nepal Army and welcomed their statements of strong support for the ICC and Nepal’s ratification