How civil society organisations can contribute to Nepal’s delayed transitional justice process?

Transitional justice in Nepal refers to the efforts made to address the human rights violations and crimes committed during the country’s decade-long armed conflict (from 1996 to 2006). The war fought between the Nepali government and the Maoist rebels resulted in the deaths of around 17,000 people and the displacement of many more.

To address the human rights abuses committed during the conflict, a Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed in 2006, which established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP). The TRC and CIEDP were established with the Enforced Disappearances Inquiry, Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act, 2014, with the aim of investigating the human rights violations committed during the conflict, providing reparations to the victims, and promoting reconciliation between the conflicting parties. However, the work of these commissions has been criticised for being slow, inefficient, and lacking in transparency. Many survivors and human rights organisations have accused the Nepali government of neglecting the issue of transitional justice, resulting in a lack of progress towards reconciliation and justice .