NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION not been able to institutionalise the values and norms of human rights, even 55 years after the universal declaration of the human rights. Expressing his concern about the accelerating trend of abducting and illegally incommunicado detention on part of the state and rebels, Khatri stressed that the incidents of extrajudicial detention, torture, rape, murder, looting and destruction of physical infrastructures cannot be decelerated until and unless stern action is not taken against those violating the human rights. At a time when even the international community’s attention has been drawn towards the deteriorating situation of human rights in Nepal, and frequent appeals to the warring parties to recognize the human rights and humanitarian laws, Khatri emphasised the need for pushing ahead with the peace process by internalising the universal norms and values of human rights to improve Nepal’s tarnished image in the human rights sector. Matthew Kahane UNDP, Resident Representative said that violating of human rights—no matter who has done so— will hurt the individual belief and dignity of the victims. He also extended his wishes to the Human Rights Commission, HMG, NGOs and civil society for their efforts for the protection and promotion of human rights in Nepal. He also pledged UNDP’s continued cooperation to the initiation. He called on both the warring parties for signing the Human Rights Accord prepared by the Commission. At the function, the Commission’s annual report in Nepali, English and Maithili languages was made public. The then Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa, the then Chief Justice Kedar Nath Upadhyay, and high ranking officials of the government and security agencies, as well as NGO representatives and intellectuals were present in the programme. Also on the occasion of the World Human Rights Day, interaction programmes were organised in the places outside the Valley, like Dhankuta, Charikot, Birgunj, Birendranagar, and Mahendranagar, to oppose incidents of abduction. Earlier, rallies were organised in various parts of the towns in which representatives of the NGOs, senior officers of district level security agencies, intellectuals, journalists, teachers and students as well as the Commission’s employees had participated. All participants called for making public the condition of those abducted and disappearances by the state and to stop all such inhuman acts. On this occasion, a poetry competition on human rights education was held in Kavre district in which students of classes 8, 9 and 10 of different schools of the district participated. In the competition, the participants securing the top three positions as well as two other participants were awarded Rs. 2000, Rs. 1500, Rs. 1000 and Rs. 500 as consolation prize respectively along with certificates. 3.4.4. United Nations Day against Torture In order to mark the UN Day against Torture, an interaction programme was organised on 26 June 2004 on the theme of ‘NHRC and the Issue Raised by torture and impunity.’ The function was participated in by human rights NGOs, officials from government and security agencies, political party representatives, legal professionals, and intelligentsia. At the function, 20