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Children participate in consultation on draft Truth and Reconciliation Commission Bill

Kathmandu 24 November 2009:  Today the Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction  organised a consultation with 32 children from 16 conflict-affected districts children on the draft Truth and Reconciliation Commission Bill. The children, boys and girls aged between 11 and 18 years, came to Kathmandu with the support of Working Group for Children Affected by Armed Conflict. Each of the children had been affected by the conflict in different ways.
 
The children discussed various issues during the meeting, such as their expectations of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, ways in which children could participate in its work, who should be involved, and violations the Commission should cover. On a global level, this is one of the first times children have had the opportunity to participate in such preliminary discussions, a promising step towards the development and implementation of a child-friendly Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

The consultation, organised with the support of UNICEF and OHCHR, was inaugurated by the Honourable Minister of Peace and Reconstruction, Rakam Chemjong, who also answered questions from the children. Additional speakers included the State Minister for Peace and Reconstruction, Dilli Bahadur Mahat, Country Representatives from UNICEF and OHCHR, and MoPR Secretaries.

For more information:

John Brittain, UNICEF Chief of Communication, Telephone: 5523200 ext 1182.
Email: jbrittain@unicef,org