After Covid-19 struck in 2020, creating chaos and misery, I hoped that some silver lining would emerge from this global tragedy. For a time, it seemed possible. The pandemic was a powerful reminder of our common vulnerabilities, our shared humanity, and the importance of solidarity that transcends our differences and borders.&nbsp;
Now, however, I wonder if I was wrong even to hope. Once the pandemic subsided, we rushed back to the precipice with renewed vigour. None of the lessons of solidarity stuck, as if we were coated in Teflon. Many, if not all, of the pillars of the post-World War II global order seem to be crumbling. Violent conflict has become the default method to settle disagreements between countries (Russia and Ukraine) and within countries (Yemen, Sudan), while the multilateral security system, headed by the United Nations Security Council, is sliding into irrelevance.&nbsp;
Moreover, the inequality gap between the Global North and the Global South has widened, and more of the latter countries are suffering from debilitating debt burdens. This, in turn, has exacerbated poverty, fuelled migration, and sown distrust. With populism and authoritarianism on the rise, attacks on human rights and democratic values have intensified and, in some cases, the veneer of elections has given these attacks spurious legitimacy. And the intensifying rivalry between the United States and China is fast becoming an end in itself.&nbsp;
But the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas has dealt a particularly crushing blow to the system. The gross violations of international humanitarian law to protect civilians beggar belief. In fact, the atrocities committed against civilians, first in Israel and now in Gaza, are evil in its purest form. These despicable acts should be at the top of the priority list for the International Criminal Court prosecutor and addressed in International Court of Justice proceedings. We must halt this descent into the abyss.&nbsp;
The cavalier disregard for the principles and norms of international law, such as limitations on the right to self-defense, and the willful blocking of the Security Council from fulfilling its “primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security,” have been unconscionable. Senior UN humanitarian officials on the ground in Gaza have used phrases like “hell on earth” and “humanity giving up” to express their desperation. Few seem to be listening.&nbsp;
There is now a looming rupture between the West and the Arab and Muslim world, even as Western and Arab populations are directing anger toward their leaders. Dehumanising, rage-filled rhetoric emanates from all sides and reverberates on city streets, university campuses, and in small towns the world over. All efforts to build bridges of respect and understanding over the last few decades seem to have collapsed.&nbsp;
Moreover, the Arab and Muslim world has lost faith in perceived Western norms: international law and institutions, human rights, and democratic values. In their view, the West itself is showing that brute force trumps all else. Of course, the increasing belief that democracy and human rights – the liberal values that once inspired the Arab Spring – are simply tools for Western domination is music to the ears of autocrats and despots.&nbsp;
The war underscores two lessons. First, conflicts don’t resolve themselves, and allowing them to fester is shortsighted and dangerous. UN Secretary-General António Guterres was viciously attacked by Israel after saying that Hamas’s October 7 attack “did not happen in a vacuum.” But he was acknowledging a truth – the pent-up humiliation and sense of injustice among the Palestinians – that most people who follow the Palestinian-Israeli conflict have long recognized.&nbsp;
The conflict has elicited calls for the revival of the ill-fated “peace process” that has been limping along for decades. But the same leaders now promoting a two-state solution silently looked on as Israel devoured (through annexation and settlement expansion) most of the land that was meant for a Palestinian state. The aftermath of today’s violence may very well offer the last opportunity to reach a just and lasting peace before the entire region goes up in flames.&nbsp;
The other important lesson is that building a more robust and equitable global security system and financial architecture requires structural reforms. For starters, the veto power of the UN Security Council’s five permanent members should be drastically curtailed, if not eliminated. The US and Russia must also resume nuclear arms talks and take meaningful steps toward disarmament. It is scandalous that there is no longer a single nuclear-arms-control agreement in operation between the world’s two largest nuclear powers.&nbsp;
The Bretton Woods institutions – the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank – must give the developing world a fair say in global decision-making and equitable access to financial resources for development. Although policymakers have been calling for such an overhaul since the collapse of the Soviet Union more than 30 years ago, no progress has been made.&nbsp;
We must not permit an opportunity born of war to slip through our fingers. In the absence of radical reform of the international order, the Gaza war will herald a world spiraling out of control.&nbsp;
© Project Syndicate
Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General Emeritus of the International Atomic Energy Agency, received the Nobel Peace Prize

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The International Order Is Dying in Gaza

UN Secretary General António Guterres who is on a 4-day visit to Nepal has pledged to raise global awareness about the impact of the climate crisis on the Himalaya at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai next month. He flew by helicopter from Kathmandu to the shrinking glacier below Mt Everest on Monday to record a warning to the world that the planet is in grave peril. He also vowed to take up the cause of countries like Nepal that are vulnerable to climate impact in Dubai to raise money for adaptation, and a fund for loss and damage. “Nepal is an example of a country that does not contribute much to the climate crisis but is in the first line of impact of its consequences. And I’m here to show Nepal to the world and show how dramatic climate change is,” said Guterres following a visit to the Everest Base Camp (EBC) and Syangboche on Monday morning. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/antonio-guterres-agenda-in-kathmandu">António Guterres' agenda in Kathmandu</a>, Editorial  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231030111020_250b078bd5f5d6f6e3fb6e39303c6604dc27fa1cda4744357f2f2f5796c345c8.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20231030111020_250b078bd5f5d6f6e3fb6e39303c6604dc27fa1cda4744357f2f2f5796c345c8" data-rendition-name="original" width="1920" height="1280" loading="lazy" alt="UN Sec General"><figcaption>Photo: RATNA SHRESTHA/RSSRSS</figcaption></figure>  He further noted that it was disheartening that countries like Nepal are experiencing consequences disproportionately. He added: “At COP28, we have to urge countries to reduce emissions and double contributions for adaptation and the loss and damage fund. It is not generosity, but their duty.” The UN Secretary-General spoke with the local community in Nepal’s Khumbu region about everyday challenges they face, including weather extremes, shrinking glaciers, the depletion of water sources, and climate-related disasters like glacial lake outbursts floods and avalanches. He also discussed solutions like clean energy, and residents asked for support for micro-hydro projects. Guterres later took to X (Twitter) to write: ‘Today from the base of Mt Everest, I saw for myself the terrible impact of the climate crisis on the Himalayas. As temperatures rise, glacier melt increases - threatening the lives and livelihoods of entire communities. #ClimateAction can’t wait.’ <div class="embed-block"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today from the base of Mt. Everest, I saw for myself the terrible impact of the climate crisis on the Himalayas. As temperatures rise, glacier melt increases - threatening the lives and livelihoods of entire communities.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ClimateAction?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ClimateAction</a> can’t wait. <a href="https://t.co/Ih12Qb8roi">pic.twitter.com/Ih12Qb8roi</a>— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) <a href="https://twitter.com/antonioguterres/status/1718900241615736901?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div> The Secretary-General flew on Monday to Pokhara, and on Tuesday will visit the base camp of Annapurna, another 8,000m Himalayan peak where the snowline is also receding dramatically. Guterres announced he will also be visiting Antarctica in November to highlight the thawing of the polar ice caps and the result this will have on seas level and weather patterns. At Annapurna Base Camp Guterress will be accompanied by glaciologists who will show him evidence of Elevation Dependent Warming which means that the Himalayan mountains are warming at 0.7 degrees Celsius higher than the global average. Even if atmospheric temperatures worldwide were to be capped at 2.0 Celsius by 2025, the Himalayan would be 2.7 Celsius. At that rate, two-thirds of Himalayan glaciers will be gone during this century. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/antonio-guterres-meets-nepal-s-leaders">António Guterres meets Nepal’s leaders</a>, Nepali Times  <figure><img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231030111020_4dbe27e0a919a04af43b45f2c457bf5f270a8b08392b96be17f738ad1f63a8a4.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20231030111020_4dbe27e0a919a04af43b45f2c457bf5f270a8b08392b96be17f738ad1f63a8a4" data-rendition-name="original" width="1800" height="1350" loading="lazy" alt="UN Sec Gen"><figcaption>Photo: RSS</figcaption></figure>  From there he will fly to Lumbini to the birthplace of the Buddha in southern Nepal to send a message of peace and compassion to the world. Guterres will be the sixth UN Secretary General to visit Lumbini. Back in 1967, Burmese Buddhist Secretary-General of the United Nations, U Thant, visited Nepal and flew to Lumbini for a pilgrimage. Seeing the ruins, U Thant during his meeting with King Mahendra in Kathmandu discussed restoring the nativity site and later set up a UN Committee to turn Lumbini into an international centre for peace. Another issue on the agenda for Guterres is Nepal’s long-standing commitment to the UN peacekeeping, the country is the second biggest contributor to the operations. Guterres told UN staff at a gathering in Kathmandu on Monday: “Nepal is an example of a country that is not only able to make peace with itself but also contributes to peace in conflict regions around the world.” Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/climate-change-is-a-disaster-in-the-nepal-himalaya">Climate change is a disaster in the Nepal Himalaya</a>, Sonam Choekyi Lama

Below Mt Everest, António Guterres urges climate action

<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111016110/636d12099c7e80680e0a98b5jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1124" height="786"/>Nepal’s Sangya Malla has been announced Woman Police Officer of the Year 2021 by the United Nations Department of Peace Operations. Malla is currently serving in the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).Malla currently serves as the Chief of the MONUSCO Police Health and Environment Unit, which she helped establish in the country’s capital, Kinshasa. The unit is responsible for implementing policies and procedures concerning the health and well-being of personnel as well as United Nations Police environmental initiatives.Malla’s contributions during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and past outbreaks of Ebola virus disease have had a significant impact in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. During the volcanic eruption in Gola last May, her unit alerted the local population and UN staff of precautionary measures, preventing further losses.“She helped establish and now leads MONUSCO’s Health and Environment Unit, enhancing the safety and welfare of our peacekeepers by mitigating the risks from Covid and other threats,” says United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, who will be presenting the award virtually on 9 November.He adds: “And she represents something far larger — the many contributions of women police officers in advancing peace and security around the world. Through her work, Superintendent Malla embodies the best of the United Nations.”Malla is a medical professional by training and has helped develop guidelines to control the spread of the novel coronavirus in the region. In 2021, she organised over 300 awareness sessions on Covid prevention as well as environmental protection for the public, government officials and UN staff in Congo. As the MONUSCO Police’s focal point on Covid-19, she has also been actively disseminating information about the vaccines and promoting the vaccination drive.Malla was previously with the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) from 2016 to 2017, where she was a member of the Formed Police Unit’s medical team. Before this, she got started by joining the Nepal Police in 2008 as an inspector.“I am honoured to receive this award, and I hope it will encourage more young women in my country and around the world to pursue careers in policing, which is still too often viewed as “man’s work’,” said Malla.The United Nations Woman Police Officer of the Year award was set up ten years ago in 2011 to empower women and recognise the contribution of women police officers to UN peace operations.Of some 7,300 UN police officers, 27% are women and are presently deployed in 14 different United Nations peace operations around the world. Through their work, they are enhancing international peace and security by supporting host countries in conflict, post-conflict and other crises.“Like many peacekeepers during this challenging time amid the pandemic, Superintendent Malla has gone above and beyond the call of duty to serve local communities,” said United Nations Police Adviser Luis Carrilho. “Together with her team, her efforts to raise awareness about public health and natural risks have ultimately made her colleagues and the Congolese people safer—a core function of policing.”Nepal, which began deploying peacekeepers from 1958 with a modest five military observers in Lebanon is now the second-largest troops contributing country to UN Missions. Over 135,000 personnel have since participated in the peacekeeping missions.Of the total 5,717 Nepali blue helmets currently serving in 12 countries and territories including Congo, South Sudan, Western Sahara, Israel, Lebanon, Mali, Syria, Central African Republic, Iraq, Libya and Yemen, 1,555 are women.

Nepal’s UN Policewoman of the Year

<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109141136/636bad559c7e80680e077f8ajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="647"/>At a time when Nepal is preparing for a second term at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), an international rights group says its record on transitional justice and other issues means it does not deserve re-election.Nepal first became a member of the UNHRC in Geneva two years ago, and it will have to lobby for a second term 2021-2023. But rights groups say Nepal has <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/does-nepal-deserve-2nd-term-at-unhrc/">not fulfilled pledges it made in 2017</a> when it was campaigning to be elected to the council.Those pledges included addressing human rights violations during the Maoist conflict, strengthening the capacity of the <a href="https://www.nhrcnepal.org/">National Human Rights Commission</a> (NHRC) to investigate abuses, support the freedom of expression.However, <a href="https://www.hrw.org/asia/nepal">Human Rights Watch (HRW)</a> said <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUZ0Azcvksdm7RxiDj2FVh-2FHkvxDADNtRq80wBxHlSJJJ_rdi_Fw9I6ls453wh9AcW9OcnAOdGLtHJQWmb6iisfhwxtIq4cgv1hxIGfTT-2B5pfz1Yut1AYBfygiwzcvXcgfqPi9ntuythdBtXXTqNZResrOwvnlVp4B94uKE4s6tN0CpIjAwmpNKmiEzLXGRPVsT03QRWUYuYAr5aePrcAFRi8kSVsetBIH4sc05Ll05FwXaxrJC1OltxZ77wI1z3zisBWIx8gsvWGYL7mpEbx99YZGGcqRsPVxNZrMVOZWFikMBfBPGojdnHRyzM6Vo-2B-2FOfzA29Lmeh4Clkje4rjEQ-2Fv599qBlZGrXbx5pQT5QJgeH-2BoNzMSeaOgO91EgR-2FemuOdVYP2nhfBIgTCVM7Bi76k7bxIo-3D">Nepal</a> had failed to live up to its pledges on transitional justice, and had not acted on recommendations from a previous review of its record on rights. In a <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUb5yH3-2BeXtQTvnT-2B-2BUMEEz5o34WJ4E3fvKCh6VDxg4iz3MPR5RDePOykMlHmsNR9-2BerlRq0kZoVLrWDgT8SPBEpRKHYScy2ywZi9nbO9-2F7q-2B57nb_Fw9I6ls453wh9AcW9OcnAOdGLtHJQWmb6iisfhwxtIq4cgv1hxIGfTT-2B5pfz1Yut1AYBfygiwzcvXcgfqPi9ntuythdBtXXTqNZResrOwvnlVp4B94uKE4s6tN0CpIjAwmpNKmiEzLXGRPVsT03QRWUYuYAr5aePrcAFRi8kSVsetBIH4sc05Ll05FwXaxrJC1OltxZ77wI1z3zisBWIx1UKkWDwxk3TvZGJq9Cbb0To4w3lpxN0nf2PyzMUujV1LU7tuNDQAQXdKmTubYIreHrx6VUUzuSB2CM5xJOKhgkHxNeFkfHHEgrUl9F2p6aROlHmEB4D53dDIk7ok-2Bari-2B1FdREWB5lJ8KrkaCkXbRk-3D">submission</a> to the Council for Nepal’s forthcoming review, HRW listed a series of lapses ahead of a Universal Periodic Review under which UNHRC reviews a country’s human rights record every five years.In its previous review, <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUSF5PhIz8D8WlLDOg1wjIsinLpGQGfewVmzhVCmafN8edDvBh1s-2FXVCGpBLGwHqy7MHAZH92nKQqsH7wbdd29F8MoxIWy8NvWEhF-2F5UdsE4cWAMoBBlTJFOphzWQzJmlLZ-2BtlWezixCyzFGgHg-2BZ3OQmkFDbqJDPf5mkW0Vc5V2YdNPWeBaM4KLJgpqNbw-2FirVKb4d-2FazrhzuBB11kABzQPFM4UDXUV7NN-2BStsSS0hZfOB5e_Fw9I6ls453wh9AcW9OcnAOdGLtHJQWmb6iisfhwxtIq4cgv1hxIGfTT-2B5pfz1Yut1AYBfygiwzcvXcgfqPi9ntuythdBtXXTqNZResrOwvnlVp4B94uKE4s6tN0CpIjAwmpNKmiEzLXGRPVsT03QRWUYuYAr5aePrcAFRi8kSVsetBIH4sc05Ll05FwXaxrJC1OltxZ77wI1z3zisBWIx8Amd4z-2FSTtLUx2sKu7lQY41u9gBcQCZKrIAMcIMGU-2FovH3uxQkF-2FG9-2FQdh88brJtnSeFofRD5nGkvoskfdyUzNN1WhX-2F4JtFvwcLUf1NTT6UB2KQ-2BvXovSk-2BP1LFZTW5VISy-2BqoZ0VCfBmnFlPhKLc-3D">Nepal had pledged to </a>address <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUb5yH3-2BeXtQTvnT-2B-2BUMEEz7OWyBIyiixU8qKMo7A7I9gUvXM4P76ToPWOylKtbJ3aWpELvnjW0RIaRi4sbEzY90-3D9a7v_Fw9I6ls453wh9AcW9OcnAOdGLtHJQWmb6iisfhwxtIq4cgv1hxIGfTT-2B5pfz1Yut1AYBfygiwzcvXcgfqPi9ntuythdBtXXTqNZResrOwvnlVp4B94uKE4s6tN0CpIjAwmpNKmiEzLXGRPVsT03QRWUYuYAr5aePrcAFRi8kSVsetBIH4sc05Ll05FwXaxrJC1OltxZ77wI1z3zisBWIx5X0WDoAmXYPAS2ByQwPjEICkrU-2B1kef9fE-2Boc2TeS6jy-2FC1teqnbJ0HQyfKcY3y3GYhLkgalrrUpIwlpeob3JY2IjdL3pkB2A2y-2F1OBqx92caDczOZ-2BHRlLRdX5I8pNAaKIS9paDGPuMmjfI8hzRHo-3D">sexual and gender-based violence</a>,  change <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUa3ardMbKDCkk7rA2uKRUi1-2BoYQgik2pBRZX8N6RsvwbOmmY-2BDzhAphF2lyHSazfkMBW-2BEodRjC7ucMhLWzQcbnu9LA0OtaL1pZj129BehahgLwDXKoHiQykZ9CM-2Fv4Par4WJgZhjRiIcFleFZCEsVib60HgPsxVo4k3NftVSRn4xDS89Nk9wHC-2FoPdTnRheIdyN54iIRWwCNJp-2FlB71esDnRr1LuKMcAcLT3gRVlFTr0hfE3eM6j3bMu8J-2FIl0SGg-3D-3Dct_N_Fw9I6ls453wh9AcW9OcnAOdGLtHJQWmb6iisfhwxtIq4cgv1hxIGfTT-2B5pfz1Yut1AYBfygiwzcvXcgfqPi9ntuythdBtXXTqNZResrOwvnlVp4B94uKE4s6tN0CpIjAwmpNKmiEzLXGRPVsT03QRWUYuYAr5aePrcAFRi8kSVsetBIH4sc05Ll05FwXaxrJC1OltxZ77wI1z3zisBWIx1c-2FR-2B29yU2bJ25n-2FbBdOeMEX2RooEoDT2QwU6glwT0X7r-2FUjMsd4ijmvit0GqZqPHk-2F3nq9iCi0-2BDzIdDqPHwzC9F7oDiHj8J9Ngxn-2BeWnhLNb75ctoykTphpky6VAiJJ0Q8ST-2Ft-2BWzdmgKKYrDhw4-3D">constitutional provisions that discriminate against women</a>, to act on <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUb5yH3-2BeXtQTvnT-2B-2BUMEEz6yX71l2zohdkZqVTnWr0X-2FdVaDqubhy9L3voYt3dNfxmVDU-2BZH61YVcpz58dkd5-2B4Il8jySRDrFb-2FRI-2FEt7Hx4a9av_Fw9I6ls453wh9AcW9OcnAOdGLtHJQWmb6iisfhwxtIq4cgv1hxIGfTT-2B5pfz1Yut1AYBfygiwzcvXcgfqPi9ntuythdBtXXTqNZResrOwvnlVp4B94uKE4s6tN0CpIjAwmpNKmiEzLXGRPVsT03QRWUYuYAr5aePrcAFRi8kSVsetBIH4sc05Ll05FwXaxrJC1OltxZ77wI1z3zisBWIx5xXUyGzRaobEbm6dPGFw0g7P6ivzGW61-2B8fdO9Irz7QeCtspaRw843lpIpbV4pFzaiWE8iUzSHxO-2BzNKMHu4gKQwfnh9ecivmVRbzHsGgh5GmZj0hPm7lZvOoDSUn4sxa7-2Fq1gkYg53MCVmrB5AOo4-3D">caste and ethnic discrimination</a>, and protect <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUb5yH3-2BeXtQTvnT-2B-2BUMEEz6V-2BFh4G3NiqC-2Bk2Qx9gCN9rPIheBnjfqjWtH1UcfrAa8gd9Z1JG153rLkxZV4lepnelNUCpESdUlQ2v5qKTBHascMq_Fw9I6ls453wh9AcW9OcnAOdGLtHJQWmb6iisfhwxtIq4cgv1hxIGfTT-2B5pfz1Yut1AYBfygiwzcvXcgfqPi9ntuythdBtXXTqNZResrOwvnlVp4B94uKE4s6tN0CpIjAwmpNKmiEzLXGRPVsT03QRWUYuYAr5aePrcAFRi8kSVsetBIH4sc05Ll05FwXaxrJC1OltxZ77wI1z3zisBWIx4fSig4gcOGjrue2ofrblzATDSVR-2B2aQ4ARKFnZArMEaROPkHFzUTEXK2XgJq4pNEW-2B2hwx-2BBe4kjtrrYCBoymoF6HXWDbdwzFP9Zp4AztgMOYrHgyTqTzjuIH2yNeRh0-2BW34ls3hUNI-2FQHKirlRALw-3D">freedom of expression</a>.However, the government has done none of these things, while <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUb5yH3-2BeXtQTvnT-2B-2BUMEEz5iMTqTnF6LNu3N9ChQTx4oreMy6QbDeagiINu5hRW0A73s4HZFfjYU3HBRWVcMC6cIAp9LC63lRNG4q9z8CLSGwXElDvXMqFDNXGrTOwoxSNU1Ry19VtcylIcIclwNktA-3Dtip8_Fw9I6ls453wh9AcW9OcnAOdGLtHJQWmb6iisfhwxtIq4cgv1hxIGfTT-2B5pfz1Yut1AYBfygiwzcvXcgfqPi9ntuythdBtXXTqNZResrOwvnlVp4B94uKE4s6tN0CpIjAwmpNKmiEzLXGRPVsT03QRWUYuYAr5aePrcAFRi8kSVsetBIH4sc05Ll05FwXaxrJC1OltxZ77wI1z3zisBWIx9NvPpDR7TpP3U-2B1rRAdK2pwIliiRcJz3TVlNb-2FSM-2FeGRIdgzL5uFnwG2HsvV1wllYU56AYxPnulI4BiK03OMVZp5U7IBK5nYNl7urL8Jlr4b4bL8Cm4-2FXmY-2BWJy6KylnoZPq1THfR5usiO3DfOv3Ws-3D">impunity for abuses</a> committed during and after the 1996-2006 conflict prevails, HRW said in a statement ahead of the review.“Whether it is international pledges or the 2015 constitution, Nepal has made big promises, but the policies that followed do not indicate a commitment to ensuring justice for conflict-era abuses or to protecting human rights going forward,” said <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUZSUZsKQffopO3djP-2FXiLsskiG1Q6gEMW5ijTZcdpHqg1VNHdLPEKhbJiQPkGKrCUA-3D-3D8l-7_Fw9I6ls453wh9AcW9OcnAOdGLtHJQWmb6iisfhwxtIq4cgv1hxIGfTT-2B5pfz1Yut1AYBfygiwzcvXcgfqPi9ntuythdBtXXTqNZResrOwvnlVp4B94uKE4s6tN0CpIjAwmpNKmiEzLXGRPVsT03QRWUYuYAr5aePrcAFRi8kSVsetBIH4sc05Ll05FwXaxrJC1OltxZ77wI1z3zisBWIx7XfaFirqIG-2FU0rvz9JaGyYv9VCpyXk5Iqh290OgqqhHeRySR0odeRRWMxLWUWLoWC7lmOgs4O8mnpZFDFKUu95bUxnKQb2d9imwZKdLW0NQ04xT-2FPmJEr6F3ikygcCc-2FkFXCu7vmjKpA3gKIcuMQ6M-3D">Meenakshi Ganguly</a>, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “During the review, member states should remind the Nepal government that it needs to do much better in upholding the civil, political, economic, and social rights of the Nepali people.”HRW is especially critical of controversial moves during the past two and half years of the Nepal Communist Party-led government of Prime Minister K P Oli. HRW noted that there were <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUb5yH3-2BeXtQTvnT-2B-2BUMEEz7ixaa1OamEVAMFydThxSuaoX59QwBPkLht1Z-2F72OA0AlkDM-2BZdM4MsVHYGYZyopfBwXdr3ZK6EhBsK8QXCTF6N6kD0_Fw9I6ls453wh9AcW9OcnAOdGLtHJQWmb6iisfhwxtIq4cgv1hxIGfTT-2B5pfz1Yut1AYBfygiwzcvXcgfqPi9ntuythdBtXXTqNZResrOwvnlVp4B94uKE4s6tN0CpIjAwmpNKmiEzLXGRPVsT03QRWUYuYAr5aePrcAFRi8kSVsetBIH4sc05Ll05FwXaxrJC1OltxZ77wI1z3zisBWIxwvy42PBJPC3sVccGLbfBAkZrh6WPIjKWEdOMdzh33hzRqiE-2BEjuX5z9BBm1WfLthD9MwFWIhxXOXrw4aIuhK9cVczy4PXZ3DeAaDI-2BhOTuoYh9fOwqUY5BOJKWB7vAX0G7x-2BFrPJfeyv1KghQIuuI4-3D">several pieces of legislation in Parliament</a> that would weaken freedom of expression if passed into law.Instead of enhancing the capacity of the NHRC to pursue justice, the government has also proposed legislation that would weaken the it, HRW says, adding that the government was also putting in place policies that would restrict the activities of non-profits and human rights groups.

Will Nepal get 2nd term at UNHRC?

<figure><img width="1400" height="856" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141116/636a57409c7e80680e0547cfjpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>ZERO CARBON TRIP: Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, 16, sails into New York Harbour on 28 August. She will attend the UN Climate Action Summit, and sail on to Chile for another climate conference. Photo: UN PHOTO/MARK GARTEN</figcaption></figure>The United Nations will host six high-level plenary meetings during the start of the 74th session of the General Assembly in late September, including the <a href="https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Climate Action Summit</a>, in a bid to kickstart ailing multilateral diplomacy.The meetings are being viewed mainly as an attempt to revive multilateral diplomacy at a time when a rash of hard-right nationalist leaders, including US President Donald Trump, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines and Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary, are either rooting for authoritarianism, abandoning international treaties or undermining multilateralism — not necessarily in that order.Regrettably, they are joined by a fistful of other leaders, both from the North and the South, including from Russia, Italy, Burma, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Poland and Turkey.The UN is expecting over 180 world leaders, including foreign ministers and high-ranking government officials, to participate in the six-day mega event.<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/11/greta-thunberg-schoolgirl-climate-change-warrior-some-people-can-let-things-go-i-cant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Greta Thunberg</a>, the dynamic young Swedish activist, will also be at the UN climate meeting, scheduled for 23 September, to dramatise the need for common action and to symbolise the essential role that the UN can play.The Climate Action Summit is intended to put world leaders on the hot seat so they reveal concrete, realistic plans to fulfill the pledges countries made in the Paris Agreement in 2016. Via the agreement, countries should reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45% over the next decade, and to net zero emissions by 2050.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=32849&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tourism, aviation, and carbon,</a> Sanghamitra Subba<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=32864&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Third Pole is warming faster than expected,</a> Kunda Dixit<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=32872&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Protecting Kathmandu’s historic roofscape,</a> Anne Feenstra <img width="200" height="200" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141116/636a57439c7e80680e0547d0jpeg.jpg" alt="">The multilateral bodies and global treaties that have taken a beating include the UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Human Rights Council, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and the Paris Climate Change agreement.As one delegate puts it: “It is either a resurrection of multilateralism or a prelude to an obituary for international order.”Scheduled to take place 23-27 September, the meetings will cover a wide range of political and socio-economic issues on the UN agenda, including <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/ipcc-report-and-nepals-food-security/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate change</a>, universal health care, sustainable development goals (SDGs), financing for development, elimination of nuclear weapons and the survival of small island developing states facing extinction from rising sea levels.Speaking to reporters last month, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that multilateralism is under attack from many different directions precisely “when we need it most”.“In different areas and for different reasons, the trust of people in their political establishments, the trust of states among each other, the trust of many people in international organisations has been eroded and … multilateralism has been under fire,” he complained.On the upcoming six summits, Guterres warned, “the people of the world do not want half measures or empty promises. They are demanding transformative change that is fair and sustainable.”But will the talk-fest produce concrete results or end up being another political exercise in futility?In an interview Jayantha Dhanapala, a former Sri Lankan Ambassador and UN Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, said: “As we survey the graveyard of multilateral security, environmental and economic agreements underpinning the mutually beneficial liberal order, fires burn 20% of the lungs of the world in the Amazon and even the Arctic has its tundra burning.”“And the numbers of refugees fleeing violence and persecution are the highest in recorded history.”With the unrivalled superpower under the quixotic leadership of Donald Trump, even developing countries like the Philippines, Brazil and others have abandoned global norms, Dhanapala says.“A rule-based international order is collapsing before our eyes and Britain is on the brink of a messy Brexit while trade wars ruin Sino-US trade and drive the world towards a ruinous recession <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/climate-damage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">and the end of sustainable development.”</a>Read Also:<a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=32805&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Climate-health emergency,</a> Sonia Awale<a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=32868&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mosquitoes move up mountains as the earth warms,</a>Sonia AwaleMartin S. Edwards, Associate Professor and Chair, School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University, says: “I think you’re right that the depth and breadth of the work that the UN is launching is more than just symbolic.”With Bolsonaro set to address the General Assembly right before Trump (on 24 September), their comments will mirror each other, and will be in stark contrast to many of the other delegates, he added.But the important thing, he pointed out, is that there’s needed substance here. “The US might well sit out the Climate Action Summit, and that’s fine. The work of the UN and the member countries will go on without it”.As for the SDGs, he said, this is a signature UN initiative that needs more attention and focus. “The world is not on track to reach many of these goals, and without greater commitment by member governments, they are not likely to be met by 2030. With the US disengaged from many of these discussions, it falls to the Secretary-General to recommit leaders to these goals,” Edwards noted.James Paul, a former executive director of the New York-based Global Policy Forum, says, “This is a time of great international uncertainty and instability. What does this mean for the UN as a cluster of high-profile meetings approaches? And what can we expect from these events?”“My sense is this: nationalistic enthusiasm is now waning at the popular level and posturing leaders are under increasing pressure from below to deliver more than rhetoric,” said Paul, author of the recently-released book, Of Foxes and Chickens: Oligarchy and Global Power in the UN Security Council.   (IPS)This story is part of <a style="background-color: #ffffff; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/world-joins-to-cover-climate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Covering Climate Now</a>, a global collaboration of more than 250 news outlets to strengthen coverage of the climate story.  Read Also:<a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=32887&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tree-mendous,</a> Peter Gill<a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=32877&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">It's a jungle out there,</a> Ajaya Dixit<a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/?p=32887&amp;preview=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trees, politics and greed,</a> Mukesh Pokharel

Climate Summit leads packed UN agenda

Paul Nunn and Bhim Singh Thakuri<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110814110/636a52f19c7e80680e052324jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="933"/><figcaption>Pic: NT ARCHIVE</figcaption></figure>Tuberculosis remains <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/tb-or-not-tb/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a major public health problem in Nepal</a>, with over 32,000 notified cases and an estimated 7,000 deaths per year.Nepal participated at the United Nations High Level Meeting on TB in September 2018 and, with all the other nations of the world, committed to end TB as a public health problem by 2035.In June, a team of international TB experts reviewed the country’s progress against the disease, visiting five provinces. Their findings: Nepal is not on track to meet the 2035 commitment.  What is more, cases of TB in the country are much higher than we previously estimated.There had been concern that notified cases were just the tip of the iceberg, as there was evidence that many TB cases were being missed.  The Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP) supported by the Global Fund against AIDS, TB and Malaria and the World Health Organisation, conducted a survey to measure for the first time the amount of <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/tb/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TB in Nepal</a>.Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepal-tests-and-treats-tb-with-a-flying-pharmacy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nepal tests and treats TB with a flying pharmacy</a>, Ramu Sapkota<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/tb/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TB</a>, Sonia AwaleDespite the terrain, this was one of the most thorough surveys ever done. Final results will be published at the end of the year, but preliminary findings show there is about two-thirds more TB than was previously estimated.How could this be? For over 20 years, Nepal has had a National TB Programme (NTP), which provided nationwide coverage of basic services for drug sensitive TB and, more recently, for drug resistant TB. Treatment results compare favourably with other countries.The NTP has successfully introduced modern rapid diagnostic technology (GeneXpert) and electronic reporting of cases, started a collaboration with the private sector to ensure proper management of patients, and begun a program to find and treat children with TB.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/for-nepal-a-game-changer-in-tb-control/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">For Nepal, a game-changer in TB control</a>, Buddha Basnyat and Maxine Caws<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/tb-or-not-tb/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TB or not TB</a>, Editorial<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110814110/636a52f59c7e80680e052325jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="639"><figcaption>A lab technician at National Tuberculosis Centre in Thimi, Bhaktapur. Photo: NATIONAL TUBERCULOSIS CENTRE</figcaption></figure>But long-standing weaknesses in management and organisation, compounded now by the federalisation process, have allowed some of the essential functions of the NTP to disintegrate, and others are at serious risk. The laboratory network for diagnosing TB and the system of supportive supervision that ensures standards are maintained through all levels of government should be restored immediately.This is because district centres, key to TB control strategies, were abolished — and then reinstated — but with far fewer staff than previously.Accurate surveillance of the cases notified and the flow of information to the centre is endangered. Federalisation has so far not created clear mechanisms that will ensure these essential functions continue. If decentralised procurement of drugs continues, it will increase procurement costs significantly and risk the purchase of poor quality drugs.Successive governments have allowed the technical staff of the National TB Centre to be hollowed out, eroding its capacity to develop policies and lead their implementation. The National Strategic Plan, written three years ago, is underfunded and only partially implemented. Most staff responsible for TB activities are now not trained to carry out the work.Diagnosis is mostly by outdated and insensitive sputum microscopy.  <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepal-tests-and-treats-tb-with-a-flying-pharmacy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Transport of specimens to laboratories</a> is still inadequate. Consequently, GeneXpert utilisation has been slow to increase.The private health sector is massive and growing. Over 70% of people with TB first go to private clinics, yet diagnosis and treatment are of variable quality, leading to drug resistance.The joint monitoring mission recommended the following:Stop the collapse of the NTP by engaging the MOHP in discussions on federalisation to ensure that the essential functions of TB control are preserved, with clear roles and responsibilities for the newly appointed staff.Increase investment to provide technical support to all levels of the NTP through teams of staff at central and provincial levels. Let a partner employ these staff if the government cannot do so immediately.Use these teams to address the massive training gap that hypermobility of staff and federalisation have created.Phase out sputum microscopy for diagnosis and move to GeneXpert testing, and make sure contracted organisations achieve case-finding targets. If they do not, stop the activities and redirect the resources to more effective areas.Fully engage with the private sector to ensure patients there are diagnosed and treated according to national guidelines.Similarly engage with community-based organisations to help find cases and ensure they finish treatment.Nepal must act on all these recommendations without delay to get back on track to meet its commitments.Paul Nunn was Team Leader of the international mission and Bhim Singh Tinkari is a recent Director of the National Tuberculosis Centre<h2>Communities against a communicable disease</h2>TB testing by and for communities can free Nepal from its biggest infectious killerOlivia Biermann<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110814110/636a52f79c7e80680e052326jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="1194"><figcaption>Photos: Birat Nepal Medical Trust</figcaption></figure>Ram, 65, from Makwanpur was nothing but skin and bones. He had lost his appetite and was coughing. His back pain made it difficult for him to walk and care for his chickens and buffalos, which were his main source of income. Ram was very sick, but his disease remained undiagnosed.Over the course of a year, he had visited several private and public health facilities, and spent over Rs69,000 for different treatments. Nothing helped. Ram had given up hope of being healthy.A partner organisation of the national TB program was targeting high-risk areas like Makwanpur for the disease by setting up neighbourhood camps to test people. Ram met volunteer Sangita, who collected his sputum sample and tested it. Ram had TB. He started treatment immediately. Six months later, the treatment completed, he was cured.There are about 10,000 Nepalis like Ram, sick with TB but never diagnosed and treated. They continue to unknowingly transmit the disease to their families, friends and colleagues — fuelling the epidemic. Poverty increases the likelihood that a person will get sick with TB. In turn, TB can make people and their families a lot poorer.Worldwide, TB is the number one infectious killer. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 3.7 million people have TB, but do not even know it.One strategy to find these ‘missing’ TB patients is community-based screening (active case-finding). Setting up a camp, as in Ram’s neighbourhood, is only one of many examples of how this type of outreach screening can be done. It could also mean testing friends and family members of a TB patient or offering screening to high-risk groups, such as persons with HIV or diabetes, or people living in a homeless shelter.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110814110/636a52fb9c7e80680e052327jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="1116"><figcaption>PROACTIVE MEASURES: Health care volunteers during an outreach screening program in Dhanusha as part of active case-finding for tuberculosis in local communities.</figcaption></figure><a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/for-nepal-a-game-changer-in-tb-control/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Active case-finding</a> is not a silver bullet to end TB. There are no silver bullets, in fact. Consequently, in countries with many TB patients like Nepal, community-based TB screening is a necessary but potentially double-edged sword in the global TB emergency.Community screening can waste resources or increase stigma, but it can also decrease suffering and transmission – it all depends on how it has been tailored and put into practice. That is to say that this ‘sword’ should be used carefully, and by those who know when, where and how to mobilise the community.Tailoring outreach screening approaches means considering a) global and local data and evidence, which are limited but steadily growing, and b) using the most accurate diagnostic tools, such as the molecular <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=17747#.XUwPT_IzaUl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GeneXpert test</a> not widely available in Nepal yet. (See article above)Active case-finding is a balancing act. Tailoring and integrating outreach screening approaches implies that we must consider and strike a balance between:Focusing on transmission versus individual health outcomesPublic health versus risk of harm for individualsEmploying the necessary human resources versus relying on volunteersAchieving long-term success versus containing costs in the short-termProactive prevention versus reactive medical interventions.What Nepal needs to meet its 2030 TB target, contained in the Sustainable Development Goals, is a person-centred public health and sustainability mindset. This is not an oxymoron. We need to keep the big picture in mind so that the 10,000 missing Nepali TB patients like Ram can be identified and treated. Only then can we work towards ending the TB epidemic.Olivia Biermann of the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm used to work for the WHO and is researching health systems and policy in low- and middle-income countries.  Read also:<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=17747#.XUwP8_IzaUl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game change in Tuberculosis</a>, Buddha Basnyat<a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/page/resistance-to-live-saving-drugs-threatens-to-set-back-progress-in-nepal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The return of microbes</a>, Sunir Pandey

Nepal TB cases grossly underestimated

<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107161116/636921f79c7e80680e03a0ffjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"/>Nepal’s flourishing diversity of ethnicities, languages and cultures and its socio-cultural closeness to Burma made me feel at home as soon as I landed in Kathmandu recently.Unfortunately, another similarity is that both countries have been mired in conflict and are trying to come to terms with truth and justice for past human rights violations.  There is a lot the two countries can learn from each other.Burma (Myanmar) was ruled by notorious military regimes for nearly half a century up until 2011, when political liberalisation began. The United Nations and others have documented widespread and systematic human rights violations by the junta, including war crimes, crimes against humanity and allegations of ethnic cleansing.Burma has the world’s longest-running civil wars, and has seen continuous conflict between the government and many of the country’s ethnic groups since independence in 1948. Both the military and ethnic armed groups have committed crimes including extrajudicial killings, forced displacement of entire villages, recruitment and use of child soldiers, and destruction of property, and war rape.The brutal suppression of pro-democracy movements, and violent crackdowns of protests were common throughout this period of military rule from 1962 to 2011, resulting in thousands of political prisoners. The atrocities against ethnic minority groups continue to this day, with the <a href="https://www.hrw.org/tag/rohingya-crisis" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://www.hrw.org/tag/rohingya-crisis&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1536731149248000&amp;usg=AFQjCNG9Jk6SjnsFjB6vZ6LOiPDxXWE85A">violations against Rohingya</a> people getting the most international attention at the moment.In comparison, Nepal’s conflict lasted a shorter period between 1996-2006 when most of the rights violations occurred. The violations of human rights during conflicts in both countries are so numerous and egregious that the normal justice system is not able to provide adequate response, which is why <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-struggle-for-transitional-justice/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">transitional justice mechnisms </a>are needed.After 2011 Burma’s military rule was replaced by a military-backed civilian leadership. A comprehensive peace process with ethnic armed groups brought bilateral ceasefires moving up to a <a href="https://www.mmtimes.com/national-news/17022-extracts-from-the-nationwide-ceasefire-agreement.html" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://www.mmtimes.com/national-news/17022-extracts-from-the-nationwide-ceasefire-agreement.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1536731149248000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFCatvjWLrPNer76IDwjivKl6nh7g">Nationwide Ceasefire</a> in October 2015. The current National League for Democracy (NLD) government, elected in a landslide in 2015, has continued <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-politics-peace-idUSKCN1160RF" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-politics-peace-idUSKCN1160RF&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1536731149248000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHlFs7iEmrEFX7RmKFS5qH4T1roYg">negotiations</a> between government, military, ethnic armed groups and political parties. Even so, the International Center for Transitional Justice (<a href="https://www.ictj.org/our-work/regions-and-countries/burmamyanmar" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://www.ictj.org/our-work/regions-and-countries/burmamyanmar&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1536731149248000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFZYp8J36Vu0BAiKxeaJ9db3UEJEw">ICTJ</a>) has been pushing Burma to provide redress to political prisoners and bring victim experiences into the national dialogue.However, the process has been overshadowed by the accusations of a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-rohingya/myanmars-ethnic-cleansing-of-rohingya-continues-u-n-rights-official-says-idUSKCN1GI0C2" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-myanmar-rohingya/myanmars-ethnic-cleansing-of-rohingya-continues-u-n-rights-official-says-idUSKCN1GI0C2&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1536731149248000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHnY3CEDJon3L9CC2ux35UaP6z-Qg">campaign of ethnic cleansing</a> against the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/living-on-the-margins/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rohingya Muslim</a> population by the military which has forced some 700,000 refugees to flee to neighbouring countries. A <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/FFM-Myanmar/A_HRC_39_64.pdf" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/FFM-Myanmar/A_HRC_39_64.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1536731149249000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFjnSZCGKZsKvq4mB0Q05qmpvitkQ">UN repor</a>t on 24 August was the strongest condemnation yet and called for top military figures to be investigated for genocide in Rakhine State and crimes against humanity in other areas. It recommended that the case be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC).Predictably, Burma’s rulers <a href="http://time.com/5381281/myanmar-rejects-un-rohingya-genocide-report/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=http://time.com/5381281/myanmar-rejects-un-rohingya-genocide-report/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1536731149249000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHXozMm9CjyFfrgfrqgRcp2s_JVGw">rejected</a> the report. Then last week, a Rangoon court sentenced two Reuters reporters to seven years in prison for <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-45392972" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-45392972&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1536731149249000&amp;usg=AFQjCNE07dgoa6OG7N-imhGIkuPmFXc8aw">violating a state secrets act</a> while investigating the atrocities against the Rohingya. Domestic and international rights have condemned it as a crushing blow to freedom of the press and another setback for democracy.Nepal’s own 2006 Comprehensive Peace Agreement laid down the steps to establish the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission on Investigation of Disappeared Persons which were finally established in 2015. Even so, they are criticised for allowing the government to grant amnesty to perpetrators, they <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/02/13/nepal-transitional-justice-proving-elusive" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/02/13/nepal-transitional-justice-proving-elusive&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1536731149249000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGebWcVaS1DrMhWBpyjX4uKXTT3HQ">fail to meet international standards</a> and are unconstitutional. The government has extended their mandates for the second time in February, but has not provided them enough technical and financial support.Both Nepal and Burma currently face the challenge of a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/just-not-justice/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lack of commitment and delays</a> about the transitional justice process because of the lack of political will to acknowledge the past and provide relief to victims.In Burma, the military did not want to uncover the wrongdoings of its personnel and discussion of massive human rights violations has been largely<a href="http://www.irrawaddy.com/election/news/forgive-those-who-wronged-us-suu-kyi-tells-nld" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=http://www.irrawaddy.com/election/news/forgive-those-who-wronged-us-suu-kyi-tells-nld&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1536731149249000&amp;usg=AFQjCNF-f-Fz5PYrT6mZYMmyuPWQSLywog">understood to be off the table</a> during the transition and the peace process. This is because the current government says it is worried that raking up the past might reopen old wounds and further deepen divisions. Burma’s hybrid political structure still equips the military with greater power and influence. This failure to address transitional justice to confront past violations is now impeding the ability to confront the present.A similar <a href="https://www.icj.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Nepal-TJus-Process-Advocacy-2017-ENG.pdf" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&amp;q=https://www.icj.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Nepal-TJus-Process-Advocacy-2017-ENG.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1536731149249000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFjTUV6E4PEQAdkfJwBIUBkGlAJYg">narrative</a> is <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Rights-right-here-at-home,3956" target="_blank" rel="noopener">being put out in Nepal as well</a>, and this is largely the reason why the perpetrators of conflict-era violations keep getting amnesty without serving actual jail time or prosecution. Since former enemies are now the state, it is in their interest delay, dilute and deny justice. Transitional justice is said to impede reconciliation, and perpetrators argue they were just following orders.Victims, their families, and human rights activists want them to be held to account no matter what. The Nepal government recently began consultations on amendments to the two <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/rocky-transition-to-justice/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">transitional justice mechanisms</a>. While this shows the country may be going in the right direction, the notion that seeking justice impedes reconciliation is still widespread.Justice and reconciliation should not be trade-offs, nor are they mutually exclusive. After periods of repression and conflict, burying the past for the sake of peace might seem desirable but is not  sustainable in the long run. Transitional justice does not merely mean prosecution or reopening old wounds, it holds perpetrators to account and gives a change for them to offer apologies and acknowledgment. Nepal and Burma must remember that addressing past violations and recognising victims as rights-holders, fosters civic trust and the rule of law while promoting reconciliation.Naw Gladys Maung Maung is a political science student from Burma who was recently in Nepal.

Nepal and Burma delay, dilute and deny justice

<figure><img width="678" height="509" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107141112/6369044e9c7e80680e037d16jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>UN Nepali Diplomat Kul Gautam accepts Harris Wofford Global Citizenship Award from National Peace Corps Association President Glenn Blumhorst.</figcaption></figure>Retired Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and peace activist Kul Chandra Gautam received the highest honor bestowed to a global leader by National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) in Shawnee of Pennsylvania on Friday.The annual award is named for the former U.S. Senator who was instrumental in the formation of the Peace Corps in 1961 as a special  assistant to President John F. Kennedy. NPCA is the largest non-profit organization representing Returned Peace Corps Volunteers.Born in a small village without running water or electricity, Gautam’s ties to the Peace Corps date back to 1962 when he attended a school in Tansen, about a three-day walk from his home.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/featured-videos/kul-chandra-gautams-long-journey-home/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kul Chandra Gautam's long journey home</a>, Kunda DixitRecognizing Gautam’s talents, Peace Corps volunteers encouraged Gautam to seek a college scholarship in the United States. Gautam eventually graduated with degrees from Dartmouth College and Princeton University and then worked for UNICEF over three decades, rising to become Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF and Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations in the early 2000s.After retiring from the UN, Gautam was briefly Special Adviser to the Prime Minister of Nepal on International Affairs and the Peace Process. He continues informally to advise his country’s senior political and civil society leadership on the peace process, consolidation of democracy, human rights, and socio-economic development. "I am thrilled and most grateful for this honour,” said Gautam. “My experience with the Peace Corps has been a source of great inspiration for me from my early student days in Nepal and throughout my long career with the United Nations in the service of the world's poor and disadvantaged, particularly women and children. This prestigious award will further motivate me to continue to dedicate the rest of my life to pursue the core Peace Corps values of service, peace, development, human rights and global human solidarity.”In describing the award, NPCA CEO Glenn Blumhorst noted: “This award honors an outstanding global leader who grew up in a country where Peace Corps Volunteers served, whose life was influenced by the Peace Corps, and whose career contributed significantly to their nation and the world in ways that reflect shared values in human dignity and economic, social, and political development.”Gautam was nominated by RPCV Doug Hall of New Hampshire. After serving in the Peace Corps in Nepal in the late 1960s, Hall first met Gautam as an undergraduate at Dartmouth College in 1971.“I am so happy that NPCA has selected Kul Gautam for this year's Wofford award,” said Hall.  “Kul's long career in the UN and subsequent activity back in Nepal exemplify his dedication to global and national leadership and commitment to goals that all Peace Corps Volunteers have shared over the years: international understanding and peace. Throughout his life, he has not been hesitant to praise President Kennedy's vision in establishing the unique institution that is the US Peace Corps."To learn more about NPCA, go to: <a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/cpages/home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.peacecorpsconnect.org</a>To learn more about Kul Chandra Gautam, go to: <a href="http://www.kulgautam.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.kulgautam.org</a>

Kul Chandra Gautam awarded

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzp3Lh9zCNU&amp;feature=youtu.beKul Chandra Gautam’s life is an inspirational story of how a school boy in one of the poorest and remotest districts in Nepal went on to become the seniormost Nepali in the United Nations. He achieved this by a lot of hard work, extraordinary perseverance, and never losing sight of his duty to help those in underserved parts of the world, like where he grew up as a boy.Gautam is a soft-spoken, but hardcore believer in democracy, open society, non-violence and has a strong commitment to social justice. While at UNICEF, he was a dynamo for reform, believing that the UN itself had to change if it wanted to change the world. After devoting his entire career for the welfare of children worldwide, he returned to Nepal in 2008 to contribute to his motherland.The manuscript of his memoir was cut in two by his publisher, nepa-laya. The first part came out as <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Lost-in-transition-kul-chandra-gautam-review,2734" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lost in Transition: Rebuilding Nepal from the Maoist Mayhem and the Mega Earthquake</a> in 2015. Rubeena Mahato, who reviewed the book for this paper, wrote then: ‘In a brilliant counter-narrative, Gautam destroys the dominant discourse that eulogises the Maoist war as a natural and inevitable uprising of the oppressed, arguing instead that the war cut short Nepal’s march towards democracy and development and pushed us into protracted transition.’A prequel to that book is being launched next week: Global Citizen from Gulmi: My Journey from the Hills of Nepal to the Halls of the United Nations. This is Gautam’s real memoir that narrates his personal antecedents and experiences as a world citizen which lend both books credibility, and makes him a bête noire of the Stalinist votaries of violence in our midst.We first catch a glimpse of Kunjarmani Gautam as a young boy, as his grandfather taught him the Devnagari alphabet in Gulmi by writing them down on the ground with a stick. He later changed his name to Kul Chandra Gautam, a favourite poet. The young boy impresses Peace Corps volunteers in Tansen with his self-taught English and prowess at Scrabble. <img width="400" height="645" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110714114/636902d19c7e80680e037c87jpeg.jpg" alt=""/>Gautam then gets a full scholarship to Dartmouth College in the US, but has his first run-in with bureaucracy where ‘people are made to serve the rules rather than rules made to serve the people’. This is 1966, and his passport application goes up the Panchayat government ladder all the way to King Mahendra, only to be rejected.He finally gets to Dartmouth the next year, overcomes culture shock, excels in class, joins anti-Vietnam war protests on campus, and goes on for graduate studies at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton where he admits he was a ‘left-leaning student’. Gautam wants to return to Nepal, but lands a job with UNICEF in Cambodia, beginning a career spanning 35 years. He saw Khmer Rouge atrocities up close, and had to be evacuated from Phnom Penh in a Royal Air Force Hercules to Fort Butterworth as the country descended into the Killing Fields.Many years later when he hears Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai (who reminds him of Khieu Samphan) call the Khmer Rouge genocide a ‘Western exaggeration’ he is convinced revolutionaries seldom learn from history. Gautam then works in Laos and Indonesia and finally is sent to Haiti by his UNICEF mentor, James P Grant. Haiti is a lesson in how ruthless dictators like Baby Doc Duvalier can consign their nations to perpetual poverty.He is posted in Latin America at a time of Liberation Theologists, the Shining Path and Paolo Freire’s theory of conscientização in Brazil. Gautam unrolls Pele as a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/back-to-the-nipple-in-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UNICEF breastfeeding</a> ambassador, getting his mother to say: “Of course he is the world’s best football player, I breastfed him.”Then it is post-Soviet Europe where countries are collapsing into chaos. Gautam helps coordinate relief for Sarajevo, and gets to sleep in Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha’s bed in Tirana. <figure><img width="1400" height="778" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110714114/636902d39c7e80680e037c88jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Grant then posts Gautam to India, where the Nepali overcomes the arrogance of Indian babudom to help locate UNICEF’s regional South Asia office in Kathmandu. He was a ‘Sherpa’ for the historic World Summit for Children of 1990 in New York, negotiating minefields of protocol, egos and geopolitics to get member states to sign the National Plans of Action, which became the model for the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/International/MDG,397" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MDGs</a> and the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/ending-child-marriage-in-Nepal,3864" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SDGs</a> that followed.He has great admiration for Vaclav Havel, and notes that the Czech President died on the same day as Kim Jong-Il in 2011, and that Nepal’s Communists trooped off to the DPRK embassy in Kathmandu to sign the condolence book. He is ashamed not one Nepali leader paid any tribute to Havel.Gautam’s other hero is Nelson Mandela, who impressed him in Pretoria with his disregard for pomp and protocol. Unlike some ‘democratic’ Nepali leaders, Madiba never had to show how important he was by displaying trappings of power.Years later, Gautam sees lessons for Nepal in Mandela’s handling of <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/truth-about-truth-commission,3565" target="_blank" rel="noopener">truth and reconciliation</a> and the dangers of ethnic Bantustans.Parts of the book about Gautam’s return to Nepal after retirement are extracted from Lost in Transition, where he recounts the efforts to start peace negotiations with UN HQ, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, and directly with King Gyanendra and Maoist leaders.He understands the anger driving the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/the-spark-that-lit-the-Maoist-revolution,2870" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maoist revolution</a>, but never glamourises it like many Nepali and international pseudo-revolutionaries. He calls it like it is: a needless carnage that derailed Nepal’s march towards democracy and development.He is scathing about the organisation he once worked for, the United Nations, and the expats in rose-tinted glasses who led its post-conflict peace mission in Nepal. The past few years have proven Kul Chandra Gautam right: the insurgency was not a revolution but a blatant attempt at state capture by misguided figures espousing an obsolete ideology.Indeed, today’s united Communists have turned out to be worse than the rulers they replaced. The real victims of that ruinous war were the very people who were supposed to be liberated.Because of his own life struggle and wisdom, every word in Kul Gautam’s book rings true, carrying the immense power of his conviction.Also Read: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/upendra-devkotas-lives/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Upendra Devkota's lives</a>, Kunda Dixit<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=17381#.W2L_WdUzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jhamak Speaks</a>, Supriya Sharma<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=18559#.W2L_VdUzbIU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ani's story</a>The mistake in Gautam's years of service and his protest of anti-Vietnam war have been corrected. -Ed <h2>Book excerpt</h2> <img width="612" height="661" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110714114/636902d69c7e80680e037c89jpeg.jpg" alt="">As I witnessed the rise of identity politics in Nepal and around the world, it became clear to me that while the human quest for prosperity is eternal and universal, people’s identity changes over time, and depends often on the eyes of the beholder. Taking my own case, I noted how some militant advocates of identity politics in Nepal and some foreign anthropologists and even diplomats tended to place me in a conventional pigeonhole as a “Pahade, Male, Hindu, Bahun from western Nepal.”According to their worldview, people like me would be congenitally doomed to ... defend only the interests of his or her identity groups, and incapable of defending the interests of women, Dalits, Madhesis, Janajatis and other deprived communities. For me personally, the only identity that matters, and that I am proud of, are that I am: a human being, a Nepali and a citizen of the world. All other identities are either accidentally inherited or given to me by others. They may be important as markers of where I am from but of no consequence in terms of the values and principles that I subscribe to.Global Citizen from Gulmi, page 46-47

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