The information below is based on the Report of the Secretary-General to the Security Council (S/2021/312) issued on 30 March 2021.
Since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (2006), the Government of Nepal has continued to face challenges in ensuring criminal accountability for conflict-era sexual violence. After a prolonged delay, the Government appointed commissioners to head Nepal’s two transitional justice commissions, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons. Despite the widespread perpetration of sexual violence during the conflict, and the fact that survivors face a high risk of stigmatization, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission did not establish a confidential mechanism to enable victims to file complaints of sexual violence. There were some signs of progress, however, such as the finalization of the second national action plan on women and peace and security, which is pending approval. The plan reflects the concerns of sexual violence survivors, female ex-combatants and children born of wartime rape.
Recommendation
I call upon the governments of countries undergoing post-conflict transitional justice processes to ensure concrete measures are taken to deliver accountability, award reparations and provide redress for conflict-related sexual violence, avoiding amnesty or impunity for these grave international crimes. I encourage these governments to consult survivors in the design and delivery of transitional justice processes, in line with a survivor-centred approach, and to ensure that past perpetrators are removed from national institutions through credible vetting procedures.