Human rights protection in law enforcement and security agencies in Nepal

Purpose

The objective of the project “Enhancing Good Governance, Human Rights Protection and Law Enforcement Situation in Security Agencies and Criminal Justice Actors in Nepal” (EGHR) is to support law enforcement and security agencies from Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation in improving good governance and human rights protection within their institutions. A specific focus is given to prevention of torture, cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment and improper use of force.

The project will provide the law enforcement and security agencies with a unique opportunity to increase enforcement of human rights standards in policing and to review and reform their policies, plans and programmes.

We collaborate with law enforcement and security agencies and use a pragmatic and bottom-up approach because we believe that lasting changes in the institutions must come from within. Together, we use human rights principles and standards to find ways to create positive changes in their everyday work.

The project is innovative in both its approach and partner collaborations. It is the first time that so many mid-ranking leaders from law enforcement and security agencies have an opportunity to develop and implement a project of their own creation.

The project strategy has three main tracks: 1) project launch and baseline analysis, 2) local mini-projects at individual workstations and 3) policy dialogue.

The difference we make

In the first track, the project was setup with a project steering committee and Kathmandu School of Law developed a baseline report that establish the current challenges regarding prevalence of improper use of force and torture, as well as the legal and policy framework for prevention thereof.

In the second track, a selected group of 60 mid-ranking leaders from the law enforcement and security agencies have designed and are currently implementing their own mini-projects at their individual workstations across the country. The projects seek to make positive human rights changes in Nepal and explore new effective ways to work on the prevention of torture, cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment, by addressing the root causes that research in Nepal has shown contribute to torture, cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment still being committed in Nepal today.

In track three, the 57 mini-projects provide the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation, and the top-ranking leadership in the support law enforcement and security agencies a project-catalogue with baseline information, concrete solutions and results on how to prevent torture, cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment and improper use of force by the three agencies. These stakeholders are also members of the project steering committee, which ensures the institutional support to the projects. The committee also monitors progress and results, and address any challenges that arise from the workstation projects.

Partners

• Kathmandu School of Law
• Nepal Police
• Armed Police Force
• Department of Forests
• Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation
• Ministry of Home Affairs
• Danish Police