Minister of Foreign Affairs Sujata Koirala expressed her commitment to start process to ratify Rome Statute of International Criminal Court (ICC). She made this commitment in a meeting with Amnesty International (AI) Nepal at her office on 26 July.
A delegation led by the Chairperson of Amnesty International Nepal Hem Kumar Khadka delivered thousands of letters to the government of Nepal amid a meeting with the Minister Ms. Koirala calling to ratify Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). In the meeting Chairperson Mr. Khadka, Director Rameshwar Nepal and National Executive Committee Member Rajan Kuikel briefed about Amnesty International’s campaign on ratification of the ICC.
In June and July 2009, Amnesty International undertook a campaign on Nepal calling Nepalese authorities to ratify the Statute of the ICC. The Campaign on Nepal have resulted in 13,801 appeal letters from within Nepal and abroad calling on Nepal to ratify the Statute.
In 2006, Nepal’s parliament unanimously adopted a resolution urging the government to ratify the Rome Statute. However, no action has taken.
On 11 February 2009, the Minister of Foreign Affairs submitted the issue of ratification to the cabinet. Civil society organizations welcomed the decision and urged the government to support it – by submitting it to parliament for approval. Disappointingly, however, the then Minister of the Interior told Amnesty International that the cabinet would not approve ratification until it had consulted informally with all political parties.
Amnesty International is concerned that the refusal of the previous government to allow for a transparent discussion in parliament and the recent political changes may result in continued delays in ratifying the Rome Statute, which has already been on hold for almost three years.
Amnesty International is calling in the new government to support ratification and submit the issue to parliament as soon as possible.
Amnesty International urges Nepal government to ensure that Nepal’s ratification is submitted to parliament with the new Cabinet’s fullest support to ensure that there is a transparent debate involving all political parties.