UN expert urges Nepal to revive stalled transitional justice process

Bernard Duhaime urged Nepal to make transitional justice a national priority. He called for swift appointments to two commissions that have been vacant since May. These bodies are central to investigating conflict-era abuses and addressing victims’ claims.

He specifically asked the government to appoint commissioners to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons. He also urged Nepal to engage meaningfully with international human rights mechanisms and institutions. That cooperation could help meet commitments to justice, accountability, and human rights.

Duhaime said the new government created an opportunity to revive the agenda, but Nepal must not let it pass. He regretted that his planned visit could not happen this year. He will work with the government to find new dates and support progress on transitional justice and victims’ rights.

Transitional justice is the set of measures used after conflict to address serious abuses and repair their consequences. It commonly includes finding the truth, holding perpetrators accountable, providing reparations, and creating guarantees that abuses will not happen again. The goal is not only punishment.

It also recognizes victims and helps families learn what happened to loved ones. In Nepal, the planned process includes investigating serious human rights violations and crimes against humanity committed during the conflict. It also seeks reconciliation, linking justice with a more stable peace.

Nepal’s experience shows why the process matters over time. Thousands of victims and families of disappeared people still await answers, justice, and reparation. Without progress, old wounds remain open and confidence in institutions can weaken. Completing the process could strengthen governance, protect victims’ rights, and support lasting reconciliation.

The two stalled bodies are Nepal’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons. They are key institutions in the transitional justice process created after the Maoist insurgency. Their work matters because victims and families still await truth, justice, and reparation.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was envisaged to investigate serious human rights violations and crimes against humanity committed during the conflict. It was also meant to promote reconciliation. The disappeared-persons commission focuses on investigating enforced disappearances, giving families a formal route toward answers and accountability.

Both commissions have been without office-bearers since the government removed their previous leadership through an ordinance in May. Without commissioners, they cannot resume their work. Their continued paralysis deepens uncertainty and leaves key peace-process commitments unfinished nearly two decades after the 2006 accord.

The delay stretches back nearly two decades, because the Comprehensive Peace Accord was signed on November 21, 2006. The article describes progress as slow despite repeated national and international calls. Important parts of the process envisaged by that agreement remain incomplete.

The article does not provide an exact headcount. It says thousands of conflict victims and families of people who disappeared during the insurgency continue to wait. They are seeking answers about what happened, justice for abuses, and reparation for the harm suffered.

The delay has continued through political disagreements, legal and institutional obstacles, and repeated appointment failures. Both commissions have been unable to resume work since their previous leaders were removed in May. Until new commissioners are appointed, thousands of affected people remain without a functioning official process for resolving their claims.

The Comprehensive Peace Accord was an agreement between Nepal’s then government and Maoist rebels. Signed on November 21, 2006, it formally ended the country’s decade-long armed conflict. Its importance extends beyond ending fighting because it also established commitments for dealing with the conflict’s human rights abuses.

The accord envisaged a truth and reconciliation commission within six months. That commission was supposed to investigate serious human rights violations and crimes against humanity committed during the conflict, while promoting reconciliation. The agreement therefore connected the end of war with a future process for truth and justice.

Nearly twenty years later, that commitment remains unfinished. Nepal has launched several transitional justice initiatives, but progress has been slow. The two relevant commissions currently lack commissioners, leaving them unable to work. Their failure to function is one of the enduring unfinished tasks of Nepal’s peace process.

Commissioners are needed to give both bodies leadership and authority to resume investigations. Without them, the commissions cannot perform their core transitional justice functions. This blocks efforts to establish truth, examine serious violations, address disappearances, and promote reconciliation after the conflict.

The immediate human cost falls on thousands of conflict victims and families of disappeared people. They continue waiting for answers about what happened, justice for alleged abuses, and reparation. The article also links the stalled commissions to uncertainty surrounding the wider transitional justice process.

The broader peace process loses momentum when a central accord commitment remains unfulfilled. Nepal’s agreement envisaged a truth and reconciliation commission within six months, but nearly two decades later the task is unfinished. Appointing new commissioners could restart the bodies, renew engagement, and help protect victims’ rights.

After war, peace is more durable when people can learn the truth, see wrongdoing addressed, receive reparations, and trust that abuses will not recur. These measures recognize victims’ suffering and show that institutions take their rights seriously. They also help communities confront a violent past.

In Nepal, the planned truth and reconciliation process was designed to investigate serious human rights violations and crimes against humanity. It was also intended to promote reconciliation. Investigating disappearances and other abuses can give families answers, while accountability and reparations address responsibility and harm.

When these measures stall, distrust can persist. The article reports that thousands still await answers, justice, and reparation nearly two decades after the accord. Appointing commissioners and engaging with international human rights mechanisms could help Nepal meet its commitments and strengthen protections for victims.