Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal
The High Commissioner for Human Rights is the principal United Nations official with responsibility for human rights and is accountable to the Secretary-General.
The position of High Commissioner was established in December 1993 by a General Assembly resolution, which gave the High Commissioner the broad mandate to promote and protect all human rights: civil, political, economic, social and cultural. Louise Arbour was appointed High Commissioner in July 2004. Her Representative in Nepal is Richard Bennett. The OHCHR is guided in its work in Nepal by the principles of the United Nations, including impartiality, independence, objectivity and transparency. OHCHR Nepal has five offices. The main office is located in Chauni, Kathmandu . OHCHR Nepal also has regional offices in the central region/Kathmandu Valley (Chauni, Kathmandu ), the eastern region (Biratnagar), the western region (Pokhara) , the mid-western region (Nepalgunj) and far western region (Dhangadi,Kailali).
Agreement between the High Commissioner and the Government of Nepal , 10 April 2005.
The mandate of the OHCHR in Nepal is set out in the April 2005 Agreement between the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Government of the Kingdom of Nepal. The mandate includes the following objectives:
Monitor the observance of human rights and international humanitarian law throughout the country, including by carrying out investigations.Advise the authorities of Nepal on the formulation and implementation of policies, programmes and measures for the promotion and protection of humanrights in Nepal.
Provide advisory services and support to the National Human Rights Commission, representatives of civil society, human rights NGOs and individuals.
Submit analytic reports to the Commission on Human Rights and the General Assembly.
Download the pdf version of the agreement(Mandate)
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Mr. Bennett has been serving since August 2004 as the Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Afghanistan and Chief Human Rights Officer in the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan. He has extensive experience in human rights protection both domestically and internationally. Mr. Bennett has served with the United Nations in senior human rights posts in complex operations in East Timor and Sierra Leone since 2000. Prior to joining the United Nations, he worked for many years with the New Zealand Human Rights Commission and the Ministry of Justice. | |
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The High Commissioner for Human rights, who has the rank of Under Secretary-General of the United Nations, heads the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The post of High Commissioner was established in December 1993 by a General Assembly resolution, in accordance with a recommendation contained in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. The resolution specifies that the High Commissioner is the principal United Nations official responsible for United Nations human rights activities, and that the High Commissioner performs his/her duties under the direction and authority of the Secretary-General. The resolution gives the High Commissioner the broad mandate to promote and protect all human rights: civil, political, economic, social and cultural. Ms. Louise Arbour was appointed High Commissioner in July 2004; Ms. Kyung-wha Kang joined the Office as its Deputy High Commissioner in January 2007. Ms. Arbour was preceded by Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello (2002-2003), Ms. Mary Robinson (1997-2002) and Mr. José Ayala Lasso (1994-1997). Mr. Bertrand G. Ramcharan was Acting High Commissioner from 2003-2004. |
