Amnesty International (AI) has called on the Constitutional Assembly (CA) members who are preparing to take their seats in the constitutional drafting body which is expected to declare Nepal a republic to fulfill their election pledges to build a “New Nepal”, to seize the historic opportunity to place human rights protections “at the heart of their work”.

The mass people’s movement of April 2006, the Jana Andolan, precipitated high expectations of renewed respect for human rights in Nepal. However within a climate of persistent impunity, these expectations are yet to be fulfilled, said the London based rights watchdog.

In a statement on 11 May, AI said that it recognises the enormous economic and social challenges that the new CA and future coalition government faces, but added that “now is the moment to commit in earnest to the delivery of effective human rights protection for all in Nepal”.

Based on the findings of an extensive and wide-ranging visit in February and March 2008, Amnesty International has set out a selection of key priorities for action by the future government and incoming CA, including accountability for past abuses, human rights-based security sector reform, protection and inclusion of minority groups, and urgent steps to stop violence against women. nepalnews.com ag May 11 08