Federal level Consultation Meeting with Children on Child-led UPR Report

September 23, The UPR is a process of periodic reviewing of the human rights situations of all 193 UN Member States in a 5-year cycle. Consortium-Nepal being a champion network of organization working for child participation is facilitating to participate Children in first ever Child-led report of Universal Periodic Review (UPR) as a unique process in itself.

The idea of participating children in UPR reporting process is to provides them an opportunity to identify the action that have taken to improve the child rights situations in their districts/local level and to overcome challenges to the enjoyment of children’s rights including child participation. Thus, Consortium-Nepal is planning to include in a sharing of child rights practices around the country as there is no other mechanism of this kind exists.

Utilizing the forum of Children representing from all seven provinces who came to celebrate children’s day 2076, Consortium- Nepal in Collaboration with N- CFLG (National Children Friendly Local Governance) forum, National Coalition for Girls Rights (NCGR), CZOP, DUCOM Nepal, and other networks has successfully conducted the federal level consultation with children on Child-led report on UPR. Director of Human Rights Commission, Mr. Murari Kharel facilitated the consultation. During the session, Mr. Kharel, made a presentation on UPR reporting process and its importance for Children.

The consultation was attended by children representatives from all seven provinces. Tilottam Paudel (Coordinator of N-CFLG/NCGR), Mr. Kiran Thapa (Vice-President of Consortium- Nepal), and Mr. Pradeep Lamichhane, and Mr. Gaurav K.C, Program Coordinator of Consortium-Nepal, and Ms. Kusum K.C, member of NCGR also facilitated the discussion session on girls child issues of all province.
With a session visited by Mr. Tilottam Paudel, Coordinator of N-CFLG/NCGR also conducted session with the Children on the issue of girls over the Nepal, the discussion on the UPR process for Child-led report and also Issue relating girls was a necessity, Mr. Paudel told. There was meaningful group discussion on the situation of Nepalese girls and their participation in leadership development, social problems, access and consumption of Nepalese girls in education and healthcare.

Also, the group discussion program focused on the scenario of Nepalese Girl- Violence and access to Justice, and the problem faced by Nepalese girls of all province, and also discussed on the mitigating measures of the girls issues.

The consultation was a kind of brainstorming session as the children who participated in the session will conduct a meeting in their respective districts/local level to bring out the issues regarding child rights,” told by Kiran Thapa, the Vice-President of the Consortium.

It was assumed that the provincial level consultations will be completed by September last week and the final level report compilation, preparation and presentation will be completed by first week of March. With the joint collaboration of other network, Consortium-Nepal will submit the report to Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. (OHCRC) by first week of March 2020.