A/HRC/13/73 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 5 February 2010 Original: English Human Rights Council Thirteenth session Agenda item 10 Technical assistance and capacity-building Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the human rights situation and the activities of her office, including technical cooperation, in Nepal* Summary The present report is the fourth submitted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the human rights situation and the activities of her Office in Nepal to the Human Rights Council. The report reflects some positive developments since the previous report (A/HRC/10/53), including in relation to policies on violence against women and reducing discrimination. Though Nepal’s peace process — which began with a peace agreement that formally ended a ten-year internal armed conflict — has delivered improvements in the human rights situation since 2006, it has lost considerable momentum over the past year, giving rise to increasing concerns about longerterm peace and stability. Political instability, the impasse in the implementation of several key provisions in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, de facto impunity for serious human rights violations and abuses, and deficiencies in the rule of law framework aggravate an already weakened public security situation and have a negative impact on the overall human rights situation. The widespread inequality and discrimination that gave rise to the conflict persist and expectations that the new political order signalled by the 2006 people’s movement would foster greater respect for human rights and democracy have been severely tested. Despite many challenges, the peace process in Nepal continues to hold promise, provided all parties recommit themselves to the human rights principles at the centre of the peace agreement. * The present report was submitted late in order that the latest developments in the peace process could be included. GE.10-10449