ICJ Commissioner, Param Cumaraswamy, today made a presentation at the 10th triennial Conference of the Nepal Bar Association in Kathmandu, Nepal.
The ICJ is honoured to have this opportunity to address the 10th triennial Conference of the Nepal Bar Association, particularly in this auspicious year of the golden jubilee.
Some of you will recall that I addressed your 6th National Conference in 1994, just four years after democracy and the adoption of Nepal’s new Constitution.
During my visit to your country in 1994 I was inspired by the optimistic outlook people had for the future of democracy and constitutionalism in Nepal.
I am sad to return now, at a time when democratic institutions and principles are so severely threatened not only by ten years of armed conflict but also by decisions of H.M King Gyanendra and his government to run roughshod over basic principles of human rights, the rule of law and constitutionalism, in the three and a half years since Parliament was dissolved in October 2002.
Nepal-commissioner speaks conference-event-2006 (full text in English, PDF)