Introduction

Protection and promotion of human rights is one of the key organizational priorities of Nepal Police. Guided by the National and International legal instrument as well as policies and work-plans of the Government of Nepal (GoN), Nepal Police has been working in coordination with national and international human rights defender organizations, civil societies, diplomatic missions  and so on  in order to serve its purpose more effectively.

Nepal Police has adopted a 'culture of zero tolerance' policy concerning abuse or violation of any human rights including torture in course of law enforcement and, is serious to keep it up so that police personnel are held accountable for their actions. Best Human Rights practices serves as a yardstick for any law enforcement agency and is catalytic to the perception of public towards the policing system.

Human Rights Section was established in 2003 AD and it has been carrying out its activities through the principle of protection, promotion and coordination.

Some Milestones in the establishment of HR Section:

• Recognizing the importance of Human Rights, Human Rights Unit was established on 2 Magh 2059(16 January 2003); directly under the Secretariat of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) in order to oversee human rights issues.
• On Chaitra 12, 2071 BS Human Rights Unit was upgraded to Human Rights Section.
• On Asadh 20, 2073 BS Human Rights Section came under the supervision of Crime Investigation Department.

Objectives of Human Rights Section: The objectives of the Human Rights Section are as follows:

• To formulate and implement necessary policy and planning for promotion and protection of Human rights in coordination with the Ministry of Home
  
• To supervise and direct all sections in the issues of human rights by monitoring the activities of the police personnel
• To investigate, make inquiries on the alleged human rights abuses the section receives through various means and recommend for appropriate action against police personnel found guilty of human rights violations.
• To report the activities of the section and provide opinions and suggestions on Human rights issues to the Head of Organization.
• To maintain human rights Database that contains information on cases of Human Rights violations
• To coordinate and build working relation with national and international Human rights organizations.
• To conduct training on Human rights and get across the human rights standard down in the field.

Mandate and working approach

Nepal Police Human Rights Section is mandated to deal with whole range of human rights issues of the organization. Therefore, Human Rights Section has established working methodologies to promote and protect human rights within the organization and to get across the human rights activities of the organization to the larger sphere of the public. Human Rights Section maintains three desks for the protection and promotion of human rights.

1. Protection
2. Promotion
3. Coordination.

Protection Desk

Human Rights Section believes that protecting human rights is promoting human rights altogether. Therefore, this section has given the priority to hold the human rights violators accountable for the abuses he/she has committed. To bring the human rights abusers to justice regardless to their position and circumstances is hitting high in priority of the Section. So far, actions have been taken against 649 police personnel for their involvement in the violation of human rights. All complaints received by the HR Section are carefully checked, verified through correspondence, field visit and interview and a thorough investigation is carried out.

Promotion Desk

Promoting human rights among Police personnel enhance the quality of service the people are entitled to receive.  Human Rights Section promotional activities range from training and orientation of police personnel to issuing directives and SOPs below to the boots in the ground. Human Rights Section is currently developing a pool of instructors for the purpose of conducting training and orientations across the regions, sub regions and districts. International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and US Embassy, Department of Justice, ICITAP programme is assisting Human Rights Section in various training initiative this section has undertaken. Frequent interaction with all quarter of society and symposiums, workshops inviting academia and intelligentsia of this field are the other activities HR Section is engaged in order to promote human rights within and outside the organization. Human Rights Section is also issuing clear directives in regard to human rights provisions and the obligation of Police personnel to investigate the complaints of any human rights excesses. Human Rights Section strives to carry forward an effective investigation mechanism in order to make the institution vibrant.

Training Activities

Human Rights section formulates training for each fiscal year. Training for Trainers on Human Rights and Law Enforcement for Senior Officers and Junior Officers, Training for International Humanitarian laws for both senior officers and junior officers, orientation across the region on human rights and workshops on strategies to be adopted for prevention abuses are many a few this section currently working on. It also works in consultation with the Training Directorate of the Human Resource Department for the curriculum design of the Basic, Advance and Special Training on Human Rights imparted by Nepal Police. As a result, Human Rights related topics have been incorporated in the various training and also planned in the annual training calendar of Nepal Police.

Coordination Desk

Human Rights Section, besides promoting and protecting human rights also coordinates with various governmental and non-governmental human rights institutions. Building effective communication link up with line agencies, international bodies and other non-governmental agencies is helping create a system which is, in true sense, enabling to expedite the human rights concerns to get the favorable dispositions.

Human Rights promotion desk of Prime minister's office, Human Rights Section of Ministry of Home affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Human Rights Section of Nepal Army and Armed Police Force, UNOHCHR, ICRC, National Human Rights Commission and other human rights agencies are the organization Human Rights Section of Nepal Police is constantly in touch with and have good working relations built up.

Protection Activities

• Nepal Police believes that protecting human rights is promoting human rights altogether.
• Nepal Police has adopted zero tolerance policy concerning abuse or violation of any human rights including torture in course of law enforcement.
• Investigation is carried out to bring the human rights abusers to justice regardless to their positions.
• All complaints received by HR sections are carefully scrutinized, verified and field visits planned accordingly.
• Conduct regular inspection of detention center to ensure the rights of detainees.
• Nepal Police Human Rights Section receives, investigates and takes necessary action against any types of complain verbally or in written concerning human rights violation by any police personnel. It has its own network in Regional, Zonal and District Level.
• All police personnel nominated for UN Mission or foreign training has to undergo vetting process.

Promotional Activities

• Developing Human Rights Training Manuals for all levels of training.
• Enhance the capacity building of police personnel for effective and efficient service delivery to the people according to the prevailing law.
• Ensuring human right as the integral part of the policing and police personnel are being accountable for their actions.
• HR Section also issued clear directives at regular intervals.
• Nepal Police has been also sending its members to participate in human rights related training programs organized by different national and international organizations.
• Workshop and interaction programs are conducted at frequent intervals.
• Nepal Police has been actively involving as one of the co-organizers in the Human Rights Magna-Meet and International Day to celebrate CAT.

Our Priorities:

• To protect the rights of vulnerable groups like women, child, elderly people, differently abled people and the marginalized groups.
• Evidence and Intelligence led criminal investigation.
• To educate people of their fundamental rights and International Humanitarian Law.
• Capacity building of police personnel through training.
• Ensure minimal international standards in detention center for the detainees.
• Monitoring and supervision of detention center and District Prison Offices.
• Institutional reform:
• Upgrade the Human Rights Section to a division.
• Equip Regional and District level Human Rights offices.
• Monitor and investigate Human Rights violation by police personnel.
• Ensure Human Rights in all police activities among others.

Main  Accomplishment of HR Section:

• Inquiries and Investigation: Nepal Police has adopted zero tolerance policy concerning abuse or violation of any human rights including torture in course of law enforcement.
• Police personnel are investigated on the basis of complaints received orally or verbally through emails, media reports, letters and phone calls. Complaints received from National Human Rights Commission, Office of Prime Minister and Council of Minister's Human Right Section and Home Ministry's Human Rights Promotion and International Coordination Section are also investigated and departmental action taken if found guilty.
• Five years strategic plan of human rights unit had been promulgated and put into practice.
• Research and Analysis:
• -Research on Five year suicide cases in custody room were carried out and the findings were circulated to police offices so that similar types of activities do not occur in future.
• Field visit of Terai demonstration affected districts were carried out and police personnel were briefed on legitimate use of force on the basis of legal necessity.
• Study on Habeas Corpus cases registered against police at three levels of courts of last five year was carried out so as to identify the pitfalls.
• Custody Room Visit: To ensure detainees rights, In the last Fiscal year custody room in a total of 111 District Police Offices and Area Police Offices were visited throughout the year covering 54 districts out of the 75 districts. The respected offices inspected were monitored and the shortcomings briefed.
• Partnership work: Participated in various activities of Human Rights Institutions to foster and advocate for Human Rights.
• Publication: Till now Nepal Police has distributed a total of 1, 19,615 copies of  'pocket hand book' of 'Standing Order on Human Rights' as an initial issue to each and every police personnel throughout the country.
• Training: Developed a pool of instructors (374 trainers) for the purpose of conducting training for all levels (8679 police personnel's are trained till date) on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.
• Human Rights issues are incorporated in the Basic, Advance and Special Training imparted by Nepal Police.
• Nepal Police has developed a Training Manual on Human Rights and Law Enforcement so as to maintain the standards and uniformity in the delivery of each training courses.
• With support from Kathmandu School of Law and Danish Institute of Human Rights Thirty Five (35) Senior Police Officers have been trained and are involved in 35 projects in different police
• units to promote Good Governance and Human rights. Many Police personnel and civilians have been trained under this initiative.                                                   
• Policy Coordination Committee has passed a resolution to conduct fully evidence based investigation and it has been circulated to all police units.
• In the fiscal year 073/074 17349 Police personnel were trained on Crowd Control Training, Custody Management, Principles of Use of Force and Use of Firearms, Citizen friendly service and Human Rights.
• Likewise, trainings were carried out in all districts police offices on Crowd Control Management.
• To ensure Evidence based and Intelligence led policing CAP (Crime Action Plan) has been                implemented by the Crime Investigation Department. In the first phase Interview room has been constructed in 12 Police Units and in the fiscal year 2074/75 BS it will be set up in additional 10 Police Units.
• Nepal Police has been Implementing "Police My Friend" since 2073/02/28 BS and in the last fiscal year a total of 2915 different program were carried out in partnership with the public.
• Successfully co-organized Human Rights National Magna-Meet and has been celebrating   International Human Rights Day by organizing different programs. On International Human Rights Day a book stall was set up by Human Rights Unit so as to impart information to public on Human rights issues and to promote Human Rights.

Human Rights section strives to ensure protection and promotion of the rights of the people including the human rights defenders and the vulnerable group through different activities. It maintains a good relation with other stakeholders working in the field of human rights and is in continuously working to deliver efficient public services. Nepal police is not only protecting and promoting Human Rights in the domestic arena but also in the International arena through Troops contribution in the UN International Peace efforts in conflict hit areas and is the 6th largest troop contributing country.  

Contact Address:

Human Rights Section

Nepal Police Headquarters, Naxal, Kathmandu

P.O Box: 407, Kathmandu

Phone: +977-1-5719825

Fax: +977-1-5719807

E-mail: hrcell@nepalpolice.gov.np