Submission on Nepal's Universal Periodic Review mid-term implementation assessment concerning rights of indigenous peoples and minorities

National Coalition Against Racial Discrimination (NCARD) and Indigenous Peoples' Rights Activists Network (IPRAN) in October 2013 made a submission to Geneva-based UPR Info on mid-term implementation assessment of recommendations relating to indigenous peoples and minorities made during Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Nepal in 2011. The assessment involves evaluation of the human rights situation in the country two years after the examination at the UPR for reference during Nepal's review in second cycle scheduled for 2015.

Cases of persecution of indigenous peoples in Nepal under law against cow-slaughter reported in 2012/13

Indigenous peoples in Nepal continue to be persecuted under its law against cow-slaughter—a law deeply rooted and wholly justified by Hindu (and therefore non-secular principles) and one which historically has been used to carry out the State’s forced cultural assimilation of indigenous peoples and to forge a homogenous identity for Nepali citizens.

The act violates namely article 8 of UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) that states that “indigenous peoples and individuals have the right to not to be subjected to forced assimilation or destruction of their culture.” Further, under Article 1 of UNDRIP and Article 3 of International Labour Organisation Convention No. 169 (ILO C. 169), indigenous peoples are due the full measure of human rights and fundamental rights promised to all peoples under international human rights law—including the rights to freedom of religion, equality before the law and minority rights to cultural expression as protected respectively in Articles 18, 26 and 27 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).