Protection Desk Nepal

Protection Desk-Nepal is registered as a local NGO, No. 877 and affiliated with the government body, the Social Welfare Council, No. 21886 .

Contact

Protection Desk Nepal
P.O. 8974
CPC 195
Kathmandu
Email
Tel/ Fax: 00 977 1 442 65 38/ 442 67 08

It has, in just over a year of existence, given capacity building and security management workshops to over 400 Nepalese human rights defenders throughout the five development regions. In response to the situation of civil unrest in the Terai region of Nepal, PD-N has been focusing on providing trainings for the HRDs in the area reducing the period between the initial 3-day and the 4-day follow-up training in order to support the HRDs as much as possible.

In order to respond to the marginalisation suffered by many of the country’s HRDs, PD-N is developing thematic areas of work giving specific trainings to victims, women human rights defenders, young human rights defenders, defenders working on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) rights and the Bhutanese refugees. PD-N has plans to develop specific trainings for associations of the internally displaced and defenders working on illegal trafficking of human beings.

In the next three years the Protection Desk intends to take on more of a regional focus, expanding its capacity building and training programme to include HRDs working on issues such as human trafficking, internal displacement and the rights of refugees in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan and Sri Lanka. The Training manual is hoped to be translated into major regional languages to increase HRDs’ access to the tools and advice it contains.

The Protection Desk staff have developed close relationships with all major stakeholders and at the request of the former Director of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, OHCHR have been developing a collaborative programme with the OHCHR Capacity Building Unit.

PD-N has also recently been focusing on individual HRD, who due to their work combating impunity have found themselves targeted by presumed members of State Security Forces and CPM-N. PD-N alerted the international community to the situation of one particular HRD and has subsequently been keeping the diplomatic community updated as to any developments.

PD-N is also currently working with victims groups and other NGOs on the development of a series of recommendations to the Nepalese Government regarding the proposed Truth and Reconciliation Bill specifically on the development of adequate protection measures for the victims of the conflict. Similarly, PD-N has been working with the EU Missions and NGOs in order to support the development of a local action plan for the implementation of the EU Guidelines on HRDs. The plan was published on the 10th October 2007 under the Presidency of the UK Embassy in Nepal.

PD-N will continue to work with 5 trainers, one for each of the Development regions in Nepal and to oversee the thematic issues that it is working on. The office will continue to rely on the support of one assistant trainer and other office support staff. In line with its policy on young human rights defenders, the office is also developing an internship programme where young people will be given the chance to develop skills and gain experience working in a human rights organisation. The office will benefit from the ongoing support from a PI international advisor based in Kathmandu until the end of 2008.

Activities:

  • A minimum of two capacity building and security trainings per month are carried out in Nepal. Additional inter-regional trainings are programmed for 2008 and 2009.
  • Meetings, forums and seminars are organised with the aim of gaining deeper knowledge of the situation of particular sectors of the human rights community as have been done already in the case of women, young human rights defenders and victims.
  • Assessment/ outreach trips are carried out in order to continue the process of contextualising the workshops and to contribute to a wider protection network for HRDs.
  • Advice to Individuals and groups consultations on the development of security plans will continue as part of the core activities of PD-N.
  • Periodic information will continue to be disseminated to stakeholders as to the situation of HRDs in Nepal and recommendations as to possible actions will be made.
  • Realisation of audiovisual tools to promote the protection of HRDs in Nepal and possibly the South Asia Region.