Least Development
Countries Watch (LDC Watch) [Top]
LDC Watch
is an alliance of well-established regional and national civil
society organisations based in the Least Developed Countries
(LDCs), supported by NGOs in the development partner countries.
LDC Watch monitors the implementation of the Brussels Programme
of Action (BPoA), ensures that civil society is included in
this implementation, and acts as a coordinating group for LDC
civil society activities, particularly in relation to the key
issues of poverty reduction, trade, debt, human rights, good
governance and conflict. Its members implement a programme of
lobbying, networking and advocacy at national and international
levels to ensure that the BPoA is implemented by LDC governments
and their development partners. The international Secretariat
of LDC Watch is based at RRN whereas its European Co-ordination
Office is functioning from Brussels.
In 2006, some 25 civil society representatives
from Asia and African LDCs met in Kampala, Uganda, on 13-14
May. Participants included LDC Watch members from Burkina Faso,
Benin, Uganda, Nepal, Cambodia, Bangladesh; Social Watch members
and major civil society networks active in the LDCs such as
Africa Trade Network, African Women’s Economic Policy Network
(AWEPON), MWENGO based in Zimbabwe and South Asia Alliance for
Poverty Eradication (SAAPE). Similarly, strategic partners of
LDC Watch such as the UN MDG Campaign, UN OHRLLS Office, Action
Aid International, and Eurostep also participated. The main
objectives of the meeting were to review the post-Brussels scenario
with respect to the progress in BPoA implementation; to develop
greater awareness about LDC issues; to evolve a strategy for
civil society engagement in the process and to find ways and
means how to integrate civil society efforts through linking
LDC Watch with the official UN process on LDCs.
The year 2006 being the UN mid-term comprehensive
review of the implementation of the BPoA; LDC Watch made four
significant interventions at the UN level. The President presented
oral statements at the Ministerial conference of the LDCs on
the mid-term comprehensive global review in Cotonou, Republic
of Benin, 5-8 June; at the informal interactive hearings of
the General Assembly with NGOs, civil society organisations
and the private sector on the implementation of the BPoA in
New York, 22 June; and at the ECOSOC General Segment panel discussion
on “Mobilising resources and creating an enabling environment
for poverty eradication in the LDCS: Implementation of the 2004
Ministerial Declaration” in Geneva, 20 July. LDC Watch
also presented a report entitled “Civil Society Concerns
on the Implementation of the BPoA for the LDCs for the Decade
2001-2010” at the High Level meeting of the UN General
Assembly on the mid-term review in New York, 18-19 September.
Jubliee
South/Asia Pacific Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD)
[Top]
Jubilee South is an international network
of organisations working for the total unconditional cancellation
of Southern debt. RRN was elected to the International Co-ordinating
Committee in 2005. The President attended the ICC meeting in
Nairobi on 23-25 March and the Regional Committee meeting in
Bangkok on 29-31 March.
Social
Watch [Top]
Social Watch is an international network of
national civil society groups which aims to track the fulfilment
of internationally agreed commitments on poverty eradication
and equality. It has a focal point in each country responsible
for promoting the initiative; submitting a national report for
the yearly publication; undertaking lobbying initiatives to
hold national authorities accountable; promoting dialogue about
national social development priorities and developing genuinely
inclusive strategies to include other groups into the national
groups. RRN serves as the national focal point for Nepal.
In 2006, RRN contributed the Nepal chapter
for the yearly report entitled “Impossible Architecture”
with the theme ‘Why the financial structure is not working
for the poor and how to redesign it for equity and development’.
CZOP - Children
as Zone of Peace [Top]
Children as Zone of Peace is a movement that
advocates for children’s basic right to survival, development,
protection, especially during conflicts. The concept of developing
“Schools as Zones of Peace” was developed by Save
the Children Norway- Nepal as early as 2001. Following that,
advocacy campaign on “Children as Zones of Peace”
was spearheaded by a couple of institutions in 2002. Political
leaders across the spectrum, civil society institutions were
oriented about Children as Zones of Peace, and with rallies
and massive dissemination of printed material including posters,
stickers and booklets, Children as Zones of Peace is becoming
a buzzword across the country. It was under the backdrop of
these efforts that a National Coalition of national and international
organisations called “National Coalition for Children as
Zones of Peace (CZOP)” was formally launched in the year
2003. The coalition is magnifying and strengthening the efforts
to declare Children as Zones of Peace and urge the adults and
their institutions, including the state and non-state parties,
to fulfil their obligations towards children. The Coalition
will further the mileage achieved thus far by presenting a strong,
united, impartial, and effective platform for advocacy to declare
Children as Zones of Peace.
This year RRN took the responsibility to chair
the coalition. CZOP particularly advocates the state and the
non-state actors to realize and protect the children in armed
conflict on children, those who are displaced, orphaned, mentally
traumatised, deprived of education, children associated with
armed forced and armed groups, those abducted and are in the
risks of mines and explosives.
Activities undertaken in 2006
Various press statements were released appealing
the state and non state actors to respect Schools as Zones of
Peace and requesting Election Commission not to use schools
as pooling booths in the municipal election, against dropping
of bomb by security forces in schools in and security operation
inside school premise. Appeal was also made to request to release
Child Soldier in either of the party and necessity of their
reunion paying special attention towards children during peace
process.
Memorandum was also submitted to Ministry
of Home on 15 May and had consecutive meeting on 26th of May
and 8th of June to develop practical plan of action. MoH is
issuing internal circular for release of children, transferring
security forces’ station from schools/Balmandir (children’s
homes), and circulating MRE materials to all schools through
its internal channel. Memorandum was submitted to Peace Secretariat
on 16 May. Another memorandum was submitted to CPN (Maoist)
on 31 May. During the meeting held at CZOP Secretariat with
CPN (Maoist), the Maoist representative said that they are positive
towards respecting schools/children as zones of peace. They
analyze the situation always in relative term and not in vacuum,
hence, they have realised that there is an impact of conflict
on children and they are working to minimize it from their side
too. Maoist also assured that the demands of CZOP will be seriously
taken and will be discussed within the party itself.
Various sit-in programs have been organised
to pressurize the government and CPN (Maoist) to fulfill the
demands raised by CZOP regarding paying attention to child rights
issue during peace process, reunion of children, activities
on Mine Risk Education and for respecting schools and children
as zones of peace. CZOP also demanded for the release, reunion
and reintegration, rehabilitation and protection of children
affected by armed conflict.
A report was also published on “100 days of democracy:
Children still neglected” emphasizing the status of neglected
children by the state who were affected by the armed conflict
even after the end of conflict and 100 days of democracy in
Nepal.
RRN's
Engagement in Defense of Human Rights [Top]
RRN has been very active at national and international
levels in defending human rights of people. It has maintained
partnership, communications and networking with several human
rights organizations including UN, EU and other bilateral, multilateral,
regional and national institutions for the protection and promotion
of human rights in the country. RRN also joined hands in numerous
monitoring and observation of human rights violations occurred
across the country in general and the mass demonstrations and
rallies that dominated the year, taken out in the name of democracy,
peace and human rights in the country in particular. Besides,
RRN has launched the human rights education, awareness and trainings
to educate, empower and enhance the capacity of community people
to defend their rights.
1. Human Rights Observation and Monitoring:
In April 2006, the Nepalese people decided to launch a massive
pro-democracy people’s movement, popularly known as the
Jana Andolan II under the convenership of the Seven-Party Alliance
(SPA) and backed by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists),
for the restoration of peace, democracy, human rights and social
transformation. In response to the peaceful protests, the police
rained bullets, baton-charge and teargas shells at the demonstrators
throughout the country including Kathmandu. As a result of using
excessive and unwarranted force, 25 persons were killed during
the movement and more than five thousand were injured and jailed
by the police; the majority being women and children.
Realizing the humanitarian crisis, during
the Jana Andolan II, RRN heavily involved in participatory monitoring
and rescue operations from the very beginning of the pro-democracy
movement. It has mobilised its fellow human rights defenders
based at the central office in Kathmandu – Dr. Arjun Karki,
Dr. Rishi Adhikari, Mr. Ram Prasad Gautam, Mr. Dhan Bahadur
Air, Ms. Laxmi Karki, Ms. Prerna Bomzan, Mr. Arpan Gurung, Ms.
Rachana Rasaily, Ms. Karen Bernstein and Mr. Tanka Upreti -
in possible confrontation zones and formed a central mobile
team using the office vehicle to monitor and also rescue victims
from the brutality of the security forces in Kathmandu, Lalitpur
and Bhaktpur. Similarly, human rights violations were monitored/
observed by RRN human rights defenders in the major cities of
Nepal; Biratnagar, Nepalgunj, Mahendranagar and the like. Moreover,
RRN had identified the need to step up efforts to protect the
people from human rights violations at a time when the very
elemental of all rights, the right to life itself was seriously
threatened. And, it has involved heavily in pro-democracy activities
which included sit -in-protests, processions, demonstrations
and rallies.
Besides, RRN has been monitoring the state
observance of the covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
rights in the country.It has recently submitted as assessment
report on the implementation status of ESCR in Nepal to UN committee
on economic, social and cultural rights in November 2006. It
has been coordinating the ESCR theme and monitoring missions
to different parts of the country in relation to the violation
of ESC rights. Recently, such a monitoring mission to Bajura
district has been completed under the coordination of RRN where
people were suffering of starvation and food crisis. It shared
the report to concerned stakeholders and urges the government
to take necessary steps to end up the crisis.
2. Human Rights Education and Awareness:
RRN has been raising the issues of peace, democracy,
social transformation and development in the public arena through
various forums; workshops, seminars, programmes, and publications.
It has organised orientations on human rights and humanitarian
laws to the human rights activists in Biratnagar and Nepalgunj
in June and July 2006. In a changed context, to contribute towards
the nation building endeavours, RRN organised a panel discussion
on ‘Peace, Democratisation and Reconstruction for Sustainable
Development and Inclusive Nepal’, in October 2006 and a
national debate has been initiated on development agendas for
a new Nepal in December 2006 in Kathmandu. Besides, the issues
like Poverty, Social exclusion, Financial mismatch during the
king’s direct Rule, Country’s political Situation
and Future Strategies, “Economic, Social and Cultural Reconstruction
in Post Conflict Context”, Peace, Democracy, Human Rights,
Social Transformation are some of the important issues presented
by human rights defenders from RRN including Dr. Arjun Karki,
Dr. Rishi Adhikari, Mr. Sarba Raj Khadka and Ram Prasad Gautam
through the papers, lectures, debate and discussions on medias
and televisions, various forums and publications during the
period.
In addition, RRN has explicitly adopted the
rights based, pro-poor approach to its development programmes.
That is the changing systems, actions and priorities to respect
and empower people with their rights. It has organised various
education / awareness and capacity building programmes. Among
them, the trainings on; legal rights of people, human rights,
gender sensitizations, rights of community users groups, women
empowerment, management and leadership development trainings
are the important ones those provided by RRN to defend their
human rights. Respect for human rights –economic, social
and cultural rights (ESCR) and the right to development –
is integrated into all levels of programme policy and planning
at RRN. Rights based perception for change offered a great value
addition to its development interventions and recommended some
alternative ways of thinking and acting with the community people.
3. Networking and Coordination:
RRN is extensively engaged in networking, partnership building
and coordination with various organisations at home and aboard
for the protection and promotion of human rights in the country.
RRN has been an active member of Human Rights Alliance and has
close links with national networks such as AATWIN, Human Rights
Home, NGO Federation of Nepal (NFN). RRN’s president Dr.
Arjun Karki has been elected as the chairperson for two consecutive
terms (NFN), and currently serving as its President. RRN is
coordinating ICESCR under the Human Rights Treaty Monitoring
Coordination Committee (HRTMCC), a coalition of 44 human rights
organizations mainly monitoring the state’s obligations
to the UN big six conventions of CEDAW, ICCPR, ICESCR, CRC,
CERD, CAT and MWC. In the capacity of ICESCR coordinator, it
has submitted the initial assessment report of the implementation
of ESCR in Nepal to UN committee on ESC rights in September
2006. Besides, it has recently conducted the two regional workshops
in Biratnagar and Nepalganj to assess the implementation status
of economic, social and cultural rights in December 2006. It
has also been working in co-ordination with government, local
bodies (DDCs and VDCs) and private sector. RRN is also active
internationally in promoting human rights and democracy, and
fighting against unequal power relations, debt, poverty, exclusions
and exploitations. RRN is working as International Secretariat
of South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE) and LDC
Watch. Simialrly, RRN is a country focal organisation of Social
Watch and currently serving in the International Coordination
Committee. Thus, RRN has strong links with civil societies,
government and private sector including the grass-roots communities
and their organisations.
Gender and Social
Inclusion [Top]
The issue of gender and social inclusion has
been internalised by RRN in its all programmes and activities
at all levels of operation. For this, a conscious effort has
been made to establish the "Gender and Social Justice Unit"
at the central office. To make this Unit functional, series
of meetings were organised and a working team was also formed
to identify responsive delivery mechanism of "Gender and
Social Inclusion" issue at different levels.
RRN, being an advocacy and development organisation to protect
and promote human rights, is very much positive, sensitive and
strong supporter of issues that are neglected so far, e.g.,
exclusion, deprivation, marginalisation, etc. In this context,
RRN had participated actively in a National Consultation on
Women Human Right Defender in Nepal (WHRD). The aim of the consultation
was to draw attention of the concerned agencies and individuals
on the need for special protection of WHRDs and other human
rights activists defending the rights of women at the national
level. Similarly, representing Gender and Social Justice Unit
of the organisation, its coordinator had presented a paper at
the national consultation titled "The Need to Promote and
Protect the Human Rights of Dalit Women". The paper had
a focus on the situation of Dalit (so called untouchables) women
who are victimised not only on the basis of women but also being
Dalit women in Nepal.
RRN is an active member of various alliances
and working groups active in the issues of children, women,
Dalit, etc. RRN is a founding member of AATWIN, CZOP and Kamaiya
Concern Group, among others. RRN had regularly participated
in the monthly street protest programme called "People
in Black" by wearing black dress organised by AATWIN. It
was to raise awareness on violence against women.
RRN believes on its preferential acts and
working modalities on "Gender and Social Inclusion"
issues as to facilitatesocial transformation by creating an
enabling environment for equality among all sections of citizens
considering the regional disparity, ethnic diversity, and sex
and caste groups.
This page is last modified
on 14 May 2007
