Part One STRATEGY OUTLINE T he Strategy Plan 2004-2008 (B.S. 2060-2065) is based on the lessons learnt during the evolutionary first 3 years of the organisation and feedbacks received from various sectors, including the Members and the staff of the National Human Rights Commission, as well as several national and international stakeholders. The mission statement of the NHRC is defined as follows: “Our mission is to develop a culture of human rights in the country by taking a leading role as an independent and impartial national institution for the protection and promotion of human rights in accordance with universally recognized human rights principles.” The critical issues that the NHRC is geared to address are human rights violations due to the State and the Maoists conflict; protection of fundamental rights of the people; violence against women with focus on trafficking, witchcraft, domestic violence, sexual harassment; child rights with focus on education, exploitative labour and violence; people’s right to food, health, shelter and work; ratification, domestication and implementation of international instruments; human rights awareness and education; and, last but not least, the issue of impunity. To support its work in these important areas, the NHRC has identified urgent need to enhance the organisational management and efficiency. Accordingly, the following strategic objectives have been set.: 1. To contribute to peace building process by ensuring that the parties to the conflict are fully in compliance with the international standards for human rights and humanitarian law. 2. To promote, monitor and enforce the guarantee of fundamental rights of the people with focus on the right to life, liberty, justice and equality. 3. To advocate the right to food, health, shelter, education and work as the fundamental rights of the people with special attention to improving the human rights situation in the most underdeveloped regions of Nepal. 4. To help improve the legislative and regulatory mechanisms for control and cessation of: a) domestic and dowry related violence against women and b) trafficking of women. 5. To help improve legislative, monitoring and enforcing arrangements for the elimination of violence against children in the form of trafficking, abuse, exploitation and the use 1