PM assures ratification of ICC treaty

The Asian delegation for the International Criminal Court (ICC) has called for Nepal's immediate accession to the ICC treaty.

Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala in a meeting assured the delegation that the government would accede to the ICC treaty as directed by the House of Representatives, the delegation members said at a press meet organised today at the end of a two-day experts' meeting on 'Ending Impunity: A Revival of the ICC Campaign in Nepal.'

The delegation also met with leaders of major political parties but not of CPN-Maoist in their bid to garner support for the campaign. They said the Maoists did not want to meet with them.

Accession to the treaty will facilitate peace and justice and provide opportunities to consolidate rule of law and democracy in Nepal, they said, adding it will also facilitate streamlining of domestic laws according to international standards and set a positive example for the entire region.

The delegation consists of Dr. Ahmed Ziauddin of Asian Network for the ICC (Belgium), Evelyn Balais Serrano of Coalition for the ICC-Asia (the Philippines), Niza Concepcion of Asian Forum of Human Rights and Development, Nazrul Islam and Katherine Aylwin of Odhikar-Bangladesh and Subodh Raj Pyakurel of INSEC Nepal.

Highlighting the importance of ICC in Nepal where the army is still loyal to the monarchy, Pyakurel said that the treaty, once ratified, would reject, defeat and challenge impunity.