Kathmandu May 14

– The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged the government to prioritize the human rights issues in the budget being brought for fiscal year 2077/78BS. In the wake of the shrinking activities for the protection of the fundamental human rights with the COVID-19 impacts, the NHRC made seven-point suggestion to the government to make budget human rights friendly.

Issuing a press release today, NHRC Spokesperson Bed Prasad Bhattarai said citizen’s right to dignified life, right to health and right to employment must be guaranteed. The right of the farmers with availability of seeds, fertilizers, agricultural tools, products, marketing and irrigation is equally important, he reminded.

Employments should be guaranteed to those returned from abroad, the NHRC said, adding that the services delivered from any public agency needs to be friendly to women, children, Dalit, people living with disabilities, sexual minorities, and the marginalized ones.

The government has also been reminded to fulfill its responsibility towards the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 1966; in relation to the SDGs and disaster management. The government has been further suggested that it constructed 100-bed modern hospital in each local level and of 1000-bed in each province and ensured necessary doctors and medical equipments.

Similarly, the need of orientation on human rights to the civil servants from all levels and implementation of the human rights recommendation including the Universal Periodic Review are also stressed by the NHRC.