Nepal – Towards Religious Freedom

In the autumn of 2005, the Seven Party Alliance (SPA) arrived at an understanding with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) on the future path to peace. This political rapprochement led to the countrywide people’s demonstrations of April 2006, the recall of the House of Representatives and the return of a democratic government which negotiated a ceasefire and later a full peace agreement signed on 22 November 2006. The process agreed included the CPN (Maoist) and the SPA in an interim government and led in April 2008 to free democratic elections which resulted in the creation of the Constituent Assembly. The Constituent Assembly is now tasked with framing a new constitution. In its first action it decided that the country should become a republic. After long delays, a president was elected and a new government formed in September 2008.

Despite the many international treaties signed and ratified by the Nepalese Government which guarantee fundamental human rights, these rights have not been enshrined in the current constitution or in local law. Nepal now has the opportunity to agree on a permanent constitution which guarantees all human rights, including full freedom of religion and belief.

This is the right time for governments of friendly states to advocate and support the establishment in the new Nepalese constitution of guarantees of full human rights and religious freedom.

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