Part Two ORGANISATION PROFILE AND HISTORY T he National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) was established on 26 May 2000 (13 Jetha 2057) in accordance with the Human Rights Commission Act, 1997. Since its inception, the NHRC has been facing a range of challenges typical to a new organization. A major challenge has been the deteriorating human rights situation in the country because of the conflict between the State and the Maoists. A limited number of staff and inadequate budget for its effective operation have been two major obstacles. Notwithstanding these constraints, the NHRC has undertaken a number of initiatives to protect and promote human rights of the people of Nepal, which is its statutorily defined mandate. These activities are helping the NHRC to progressively achieve what it has been set to do by making its existence felt to the stakeholders. It has established itself as an independent and credible human rights institution. There are milestones as well. In the year 2000 (2057), the NHRC introduced the Complaint Handling and Compensation Determination Regulation and joined the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions. In the summer of 2001 (Jestha 2058 BS), to take an example, the NHRC recommended His Majesty’s Government to compensate the families of each prisoner killed in Nepalgunj Prison making the perpetrators responsible for the death of the prisoners. The NHRC recommended His Majesty’s Government to make individuals accountable for the act of human rights violations by requiring them to share the cost of compensation. Since His Majesty’s Government paid the entire compensation, the NHRC drew attention of the His Majesty’s Government to the possibility that the act of not making perpetrators accountable encourages violation of human rights and that it is an improper use of the public treasury. Another example is the arrangement of public hearings in Butwal and Lahan on the issue of a missing person and civil disobedience by Chamars in protest of the discrimination against them. Lately, the Commission is seriously looking into the incidents of violence against women on alleged Selected Key Statutory Functions of NHRC Protection and promotion of human rights as its primary responsibility by carrying out: - Inquiries and investigations on HR violations; - Visit, inspect and observe any authority, jail or any organization under His Majesty’s Government and to submit necessary recommendations to His Majesty’s Government on necessary reform; - Review the constitutional and legislative provisions for enforcement of human rights and make recommendations for effective implementation of such provisions; - Recommend to His Majesty’s Government for effective implementation of the related provisions of international treaties and instruments; - Evaluate the existing human rights situation of the country; - Recommend to His Majesty’s Government on reports to be submitted by Nepal to treaty monitoring committees and give opinion on the reports prepared for submission to the committee. 3